Dark Desire
by BillFan45
Summary: Sequel to The Healing Heart. Thrown together by fate, a mysterious stranger awakens feelings that Eric thought were dead and buried, but she is not who she claims to be. What does she want with him? Appearances by Bill, Sookie, Judith & Pam.
1. Chapter 1

Dark Desires - Prologue

Wakefield Cove, California - Three years earlier

Pain. Unbearable pain coursed through her body as the woman regained consciousness. For a few seconds, Kathryn Wakefield, Katy to her friends, didn't know where she was or how she got there; then her mind cleared. She was lying at the bottom of the staircase in the grand foyer of the house she shared with her husband, Richard. He and her friend, Tracy Coleman, were standing at the top of the stairs looking down at her.

Richard's face was red with rage. The normally cool Tracy looked terrified. It was clear she hadn't expected Richard's violent reaction. She was scared to death, but at this moment, Katy hated the beautiful brunette and didn't give a damn how she felt.

"I think you may have killed her, Richard! I'm calling 911!" Tracy yelled. Her voice was hoarse from screaming and her face was white from fear. She started to scream again; she started getting hysterical. "Get hold yourself, Tracy!" Richard said loudly. "You're not calling anyone until we get our stories straight."

The tall, sandy haired man glared at his mistress with a sneer on his face. Tracy backed up and put her fist up to her mouth to stop herself from screaming again. Taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to be calm. In a tremulous voice she said, "Richard, look at her. She's hurt bad. If we don't call someone now, she'll die."

Richard Dumont walked slowly down the stairs and stood over Katy, glaring at her. He didn't lift a finger to help her. "Help, me, Richard. Please!" she pleaded in a weak voice, but her husband just stared down at her; his eyes were seething with anger and self-righteousness. Seeing his wife's battered and broken body didn't seem to bother him at all. In fact, his brown eyes were indifferent to her plight. "See what you made me do, Katy? This is all your fault!" He turned on his heel and walked into his study.

Katy tried to get up, but she couldn't move her left leg. It was laying at an awkward angle; she knew it was broken. She was a doctor and didn't have to see the bone sticking out through her flesh to know the break was a bad one. Her head hurt where it struck the last step before she finally went sprawling on the hard tile floor.

Katy managed to move her hand to her head and felt a large lump; she could feel wetness too. She saw that her fingers were covered in blood as she brought them down in front of her eyes. Her face hurt bad; it was swollen. Richard had punched her hard in the face several times. It was hard to move her lips to speak; she wondered if Richard had broken her jaw.

Katy was reeling with the pain. She found it hard to draw in a breath because her ribs hurt so much. _At least one of them must be cracked, and I think I may have a concussion, too._ she thought. She tried to grab the mahogany newel post to pull herself up, but a fresh surge of agony made her nauseous and dizzy. Her blood pressure dropped swiftly making her feel even more woozy, but the pain began to fade as darkness blessedly claimed her. She blacked out again.

Katy was unconscious for almost twenty four hours when she woke up around one o'clock the next afternoon. She was in a hospital bed in St. Claire's General Hospital. Katy knew the hospital well: she worked the late shift in the ER. Her father, Dr. John Dumont, was the hospital administrator, and she had practically grown up in this place.

Katy made a small sound and opened her eyes. The sunlight shining through the window blinded her for a moment and made her wince. Every part of her body felt ached, but it was not as bad as the day before. When she looked down, she could see her left leg was in a cast and in traction over the bed. Her head, face and ribs were bandaged too.

Her mother, Helen Dumont, was sitting in a chair next to her bed. She had been crying; her eyes were red and puffy, and she was clearly exhausted. Katy guessed that her mother had spent the night in her room. Her father, Dr. James Dumont, was standing at the end of the bed reading her patient chart.

"John, she's waking up!" Her mother gave a happy cry. Helen took her daughter's hand in hers, and Katy grasped it weakly. Despite her husband's earlier assurances that everything would be all right, she was beginning to wonder if her daughter was ever going wake up. John Dumont moved to the side of the bed and began to examine his daughter. Relief shown in his black eyes. "I told you she's going to be all right, Helen. You can stop worrying now." he said quietly.

At fifty-five, Helen Dumont was a tall woman with honey blonde hair and gray eyes. She worked out regularly and had a trim figure and good complexion. She wasn't a vain woman, but she worked hard to keep herself looking good for her husband who insisted on it. She seemed to be the perfect wife for the town's second most prominent citizen, and he was determined that she stayed that way. Most people didn't know how she hated her life.

To most people, Dr. John Dumont was a charming and charismatic man. To the female population of Wakefield Cove, he gave new meaning to the words, "Tall, dark and handsome." At fifty-eight her father was one of the most attractive men in town, and he sure as hell knew it. He had the fit, hard body of a much younger man, and he also worked hard to keep it that way. In the last couple of years, his jet black hair started to gray slightly at the temples. This, along with his perpetually tanned good looks, gave him a sophisticated and distinguished look. His intelligent black eyes were framed with long dark lashes that captivated the ladies.

It wasn't his looks that mattered, though: John Dumont projected an aura of self-confidence, kindness, humor and concern for his patients. He had gained the respect and trust of most of the citizens of Wakefield Cove, including James Wakefield, Richard's father. Katy knew her father didn't deserve that respect or trust; inside, he didn't give a damn about his patients, or anyone else for that matter. John Dumont was a selfish, arrogant and violent man, and he had a vicious temper.

Helen Dumont didn't seem convinced by her husband's words. She still looked worried and frightened. "Are you sure she will be okay, John? I don't believe a word Richard said. I think he beat her up. We've got to keep him away from her."

"Don't be ridiculous, Helen. Richard would never hurt Katy." her father replied belligerently. He seemed genuinely shocked and angry at his wife's suggestion.

"I'm not surprised." Katy thought. Since she was fifteen years old, her relationship with her father had been tense and combative. That was the summer she discovered that the man she idolized was a serial adulterer and a wife beater.

Katy had been swimming in their large backyard pool when she decided to take a shower and change. She was going to call a girlfriend and ask her over to spend the night. As she was walking down the hallway toward her bedroom, she heard her parents arguing loudly inside their own bedroom.

"I'm not putting up with this anymore, John. I've had enough of your cheating. I'm leaving, and I am taking Katy with me." Helen Dumont's voice was soft, but it was firm. It carried clearly through the partially opened double door that led to the master bedroom. Katy couldn't see her parents, but she heard a crash and the sound of glass breaking. Her mother screamed at the same time that Katy heard several thumps.

She started to enter the bedroom, but the door flew open wide and her father stormed out with his fists clenched. Katy ran into the room; her mother was on the floor holding her hand over her right eye. Her right cheek had a big bruise and her lip was swollen and bleeding.

Katy hurried to her mother's side and helped her up on the bed. Her mother was crying loudly, so she put her arms around her and rocker her back and forth. The sound of a car door slamming made them both jump a little. Going to the window, Katy could see her father's sports car pulling down the driveway toward the front gate. It was moving fast; too fast.

Katy walked back to the bed. "What happened, mom?" she asked as she sat down beside her mother. Helen continued to cry silently for a while, but after a few minutes she started talking and couldn't stop. The story she told made Katy sick to her stomach. Katy didn't want to believe her father was cheating on her mother. She didn't want to believe that her father had been beating her mother for years.

John Dumont was a respected physician; he knew exactly where and how hard to hit someone without leaving a bruise. Until that night he had been successful in hiding his abuse, but her mother's swollen eye was proof of his actions. Helen Dumont was embarrassed as she confessed to her daughter that her husband usually waited until Katy was in bed fast asleep before he took his rage out on her. His rages could be triggered by anything: a bad day at the hospital, a lost tennis match, a disappointment of any sort. That night, his rage at being confronted by his normally passive wife was too much for him to control.

Throughout her childhood, Katy had seen many telltale signs of her mother's abuse at the hands of her father. Although they were not close, Katy loved her father and deliberately closed her eyes to what she didn't want to see. That night she realized the truth could no longer be ignored. Katy was angered and shocked by her father's actions, but she was angrier at herself for being so willfully blind.

"You should divorce him!" Katy said firmly. She hated to see her mother hurting the way she was.

"You don't understand, Katy. I've begged him for a divorce many times, but he keeps threatening to take you away from me for good. I've even told him that I don't want any of his money, but he won't let me go. He doesn't love me, and he's told me that many times, but he thinks a divorce would be bad for his reputation."

"Mom, you can't keep letting him hit you like this. Call the police and file a report. I will back you up." Katy insisted.

"Katy, no one in this town will ever believe that Dr. John Dumont beats his wife. Everyone thinks he is a saint. There will be no divorce until he is good and ready." Helen Dumont wearily replied.

Later that night, fifteen year old Katy confronted her father in his study. Katy might look like her mother, but when riled, she had her father's fierce temper. John Dumont slapped his daughter's face hard and told her to get out. Katy left the room, but not before she called her father a wife beater and a coward. Their relationship was never the same after that. Over the years, the more she learned about her father, the less she liked him.

John Dumont was a prominent citizen of Wakefield Cove, a tiny hamlet on the coast of Northern California. Everybody in town liked and respected the doctor who ran Wakefield General, but they didn't know him the way his family did. Even after Katy confronted him, he still was verbally abusive to her mother He did his best to tear down her self esteem, and it worked. Helen Dumont was an alcoholic. She hid it well, but she had been sent to rehab clinics out of state on three separate occasions during the last ten years.

At his daughter's bedside, John Dumont finished his examination and looked over at his wife. There was anger and disgust on his face. "She's a whore, Helen! She's disgraced us! What will everyone think? I'll never forgive her for what she's done!"

Her father's words cut Katy to the core. She didn't know what to expect, but she didn't expect this. "What?" she started to say.

"John!" Helen Dumont said in a shocked voice. "We only know what Richard said. Let's hear from her what happened."

"I don't need to hear any of her lies! Richard is a good man and a good husband; she doesn't deserve him! Richard and Tracy said they found her in their bed with Dan Tolbert. Richard said Katy got hurt when she tried to stop Dan from running away. She wanted him to confront Richard, but Tolbert was too scared. What else do we need to know?"

"I don't believe that, John. If you had ever taken the time to get to know her, you wouldn't believe it either!" Helen's soft voice defended her youngest child.

John Dumont stated at the both of them with disbelief in his eyes. "She's caused enough trouble, Helen. I never want to see her again. That is final!" He turned and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I disclaim ownership of any characters from The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series or True Blood. They are the property of Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.

Dark Desire – Chapter 2

Katy's mother followed her husband out of her daughter's hospital room. "John, you don't mean that! She's your daughter; you can't believe what Richard said. You just can't!" Helen Dumont was appalled at her husband's attitude.

"Are you telling me I don't know my own daughter, Helen? "Don't be ridiculous!" He arrogantly replied. "She's always been a problem. She was always getting into trouble in high school. Have you forgotten that?"

"Sure, she got into a little trouble and embarrassed you a few times, so what! She did a little drinking with her friends, and once she got stopped for speeding while under the influence. She talked back to you a few times, but she never did anything seriously wrong and you know it!" The usually timid Helen Dumont fiercely defended her daughter, Katy. She could not believe the charges John was making against their daughter.

John Dumont wasn't listening; he turned and walked down the hall with an angry look on his face; for him the matter was closed. James Wakefield, Richard's father, was a good friend of his, and had been since they were in grade school. Wakefield's generous donations to the hospital kept the facility afloat during some very pressing times. Wakefield had done many favors for John Dumont, and he for him. He never doubted his friend when he told him what happened between Richard and Katy.

Katy was stunned after her father walked out of the room. She could hear the conversation going on just outside her doorway, but she didn't believe what she was hearing. As Helen walked back to her daughter's side, Katy cried out, "What's going on, mom? I wasn't cheating on Richard; it was the other way around. I came home and found him in our bed with Tracy Coleman. I thought she was my best friend. I can't believe that I was fooled by her."

Hot tears scalded her face as she remembered the scene in their bedroom. In the last two days, Katy had also discovered something even worse than her husband's infidelity. It was something that she could never talk about to her mother or anyone else.

Yesterday was Richard's birthday,. Katy had planned a surprise birthday party for him last night. Richard was also a physician who worked at St. Claire's in the Oncology Department. Many of their co-workers at the hospital had been invited. It was hard keeping the party a secret from Richard, but Katy thought she had done a pretty good job.

Her friend, Tracy, Coleman was helping her plan the party and maintain secrecy at the same time. She was was in her office getting ready to leave the hospital early to begin preparations when a messenger dropped off a Fed Ex package addressed simply to Dr. Wakefield. Katy didn't recognize the return address, but she opened the package anyway and drew out a DVD and a smaller envelope that held bunch of pictures.

Katy began to go through the pictures, one by one. The first few seemed innocent enough; they were shots taken of Richard, his father and her father on a trip they had taken to Bangkok almost a month ago. The three men were very close and had made at a trip to Thailand every year for the last few years. The photographs showed the men sitting in a restaurant eating dinner with some Asian gentlemen. They all looked like they were having a good time. Katy smiled fondly as she looked at them.

It was the fifth picture that caught her attention, and Katy blanched when she saw it. It was a picture of Richard lying naked on a bed in a hotel room with a naked Asian girl. When she looked closer, Katy could tell the girl was a young teenager, probably no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Katy felt as if she had been hit in the stomach with a sledge hammer. She dropped the pictures as if they burned her hands. With a curse and a sweep of her hand, she knocked them off her desk on to the floor. For a minute, she just sat there glued to her chair in stunned silence.

Finally, she arose, walked over to her door, shut and locked it behind her. She picked up the pictures, sat back down behind her desk chair and began to look through them. There were about twenty five photographs in all. Except for the first four photos, all of the pictures were candid shots of Richard, his father, James Wakefield, and her own father, John Dumont, in the same hotel room having sex with two innocent looking Asian girls and one Asian boy. Two of the children seemed to be pre-adolescent; the third, a girl, could not have been more than fourteen or fifteen, at most.

The pictures were stomach churning; and extremely graphic, violent and ugly. In several shots, the boy was bound to a bed and gagged while Mr. Wakefield was sodomizing him.. In others, the girls were screaming as they were being forced to have sex. Katy was struck by the fear and horror on their young faces. In less than five minutes, Katy felt her safe, secure world turn upside down. The love she felt for her husband, Richard, for so long, died in less than a heartbeat, leaving only a bitter sense of horror and shame in her heart.

Katy didn't recognize the man in the photographs as the loving husband she had married. She didn't recognize her father or her father-in-law as the two most respected and loved men in Wakefield Cove. As far as she was concerned, all three men were nothing but sick, disgusting perverts. Bile rose into her throat, and she suddenly retched into her waste basket. Taking a swig from a bottle of Poland Spring water that was a staple on her desk, she rinsed her mouth out, spat into the waste basket and rinsed again.

Not wanting to, but knowing she had to, Katy inserted the DVD into her computer and clicked on it. The images on the disc were far worse than the photographs. Some perverted sicko had filmed the three men as they and performed sex acts on their young victims. The children were swapped back and forth like toys. After a few minutes, she couldn't take any more. She ejected the DVD and shut her computer off.

Red hot anger and disgust swamped her, and scalding tears of shame filler her eyes. Her first impulse was to call the police and turn the photos and the DVD over to them. She reached for the phone, but she realized she could not do that. The scandal would destroy two families and probably drive her mentally fragile mother over the brink into insanity. She decided to confront her husband and her father, herself. After placing the pictures and the DVD back into the Fed EX envelope, she grabbed her purse and ran out the door, down the hall to the parking lot exit. She didn't see or hear any of her co-workers wishing her a good time at the party tonight.

Katy was shaking when she got into her car. Her mind was reeling with shock. She wondered how long the three most important men in her life had been engaging in these perverted and disgusting activities. She guessed that it had been going on for a long time.

A sudden thought sickened her; James Wakefield had recently employed three Asian women at his large estate in Wakefield Colve. All three had at least one pre-teenage boy or girl. She wondered if those children were being abused as well. If they were, Katy resolved she was going to stop it somehow, but she didn't know how. Taking a few of the most incriminating photos out of the envelope and placing them in her purse, Katy stopped at her bank; she was going to place the Fed Ex envelope containing the other photographs and the DVD in her safety deposit box.

Before she got out of the car, she decided that wasn't such a good idea. She stopped at a nearby convenience store and bought a box of large plastic storage bags, the kind used to store food in the freezer. Putting the DVD and the envelope containing most of the pictures in one of the plastic bags, Katy tore the Fed Ex envelope into tiny pieces and dropped them into a trash container near her parked car.

Katy sped out of town toward her parents house. She knew no one would be home at that hour, so she didn't bother entering the house. Moving quickly around the back, she continued walking deep into a heavily wooded area about a half mile from her childhood home. There she found what she was looking for: a small cave that she used to play in as a child. The cave was high on a hill overlooking a stream that ran through her parent's large property.

The cave was dry and the entrance was well hidden by overgrown brush; she almost didn't find it. Once inside, Katy found her old bedroll and some blankets, an old flashlight, a kerosene lantern commonly used by campers and some matches in a tin box. The blankets and bedroll were shredded, dirty and moth eaten, but everything else looked in relatively good condition.

She had not been inside the cave since the night she confronted her father about hitting her mother and his infidelities, but she could tell that an animal had taken up residence inside the cave for a time. There was no evidence of that animal now. Katy placed the plastic bag containing the DVD and pictures on a high stone shelf in back of the cave behind some large rocks. Even if someone found the cave, they would not find the pictures.

Katy ran back to her car and drove home. It was ten minutes to five when she let herself into the front door of their large house. She could hear voices and loud music upstairs. She was surprised because no one should have been in the house at that time. The caterers were not expected to arrive for at least another hour, and Tracy wasn't due until then either.

Katy walked quietly up the stairs and opened the two double doors that led into the master bedroom. What she saw shocked her: Richard and Tracy were naked and having sex in their bed. They were too preoccupied to see that her standing in the doorway. Tracy was on top of Richard riding him hard. He yelled out her name as he came.

Katy stood still as her shocked mind registered the scene in front of her. All thoughts of confronting Richard with the photographs in her purse were temporarily forgotten. Her logical mind told her that this was a set up. Tracy knew exactly what time she would be home. Katy had told her, but all Katy's mind could register right now was the tanned perfection of Tracy's naked body and what was going on in the bed. No wonder Richard was so entranced by her best friend.

At twenty eight, Katy was a tall, pretty, gray eyed woman with long, honey blonde hair and a fair, creamy complexion. Some people said she was beautiful, but Katy never thought so. At any rate, she knew her looks could not compare to the smaller, but exotic dark beauty that was Tracy Coleman. Tracy was definitely Richard's type, so Katy always wondered why he fell in love and married her, instead of Tracy.

Katy was five foot eleven and weighed one hundred and forty pounds. Her weight was well proportionbed, but she liked to eat, so she had to diet and exercise constantly to keep from putting on the pounds. She had a small bosom and rounded hips. Her legs were shapely, and long,. Katy had trouble finding clothes that fit her right unless she went to the most expensive boutiques, or had her clothes tailored to fit.

On the other hand, Tracy, her old college friend, had a body that was model perfect. She was almost five nine and naturally slim. She could buy clothes straight off the rack and look great in them. In fact, Tracy Coleman would make a burlap sack look like an expensive designer dress. She could eat anything she wanted and not gain an ounce She didn't have to exercise either; she once told Katy that she didn't like getting so sweaty. That always made Katy a little jealous of her gorgeous friend.

They differed greatly in personality too. Katy was naturally shy, and because of her father's ability to completely fool others, she was suspicious of most people until she got to know them well. She didn't want to be played for a fool like her mother, so it was hard to gain her trust. Once that trust was gained, Katy was a steadfast friend. Her natural reserve often made her seem standoffish to others.

Tracy was an extrovert, open, warm, witty and fun to be with. She always knew what to say; she always had a smart comeback when someone teased her. Her self-assured and confident air attracted the male population to her like bees to honey. She was fully aware of her own sexuality and the affect it had on men, but for some reason, she did not have many female friends.

Tracy dated a lot; college boys constantly filled the dorm room they shared, trying to capture Tracy's heart. Tracy made no bones that she like to date different guys. She spent a lot of time talking to Katy in detail about her sexual experiences. She had many of them; she considered herself a modern, liberated woman.

Katy dated occasionally, but she had no serious boyfriend for months. As a college freshman at UC Berkeley, Katy lost her virginity to a boy from Boston who was in his senior year. Kevin said he wanted to marry her, so she willingly agreed to sleep with him; he was her first lover. When it came to sex, Kevin was a good teacher and Katy was a willing student. She found out she really enjoyed sex, and she was good at it.

Six months later, Katy was heartbroken when Kevin told her he was going back to Boston after graduation and that their relationship was over. Katy felt heartbroken and used. When Kevin told her he was leaving, Katy cried on Tracy's shoulder for a week, then Tracy fixed her up on a blind date. She enjoyed herself a lot more than she thought she would. During the next two years, she dated a several nice guys, but she never let herself fall in love again.

Katy had always known Richard Wakefield; every girl in Wakefield Cove did. He was three years older than her, so she didn't run with his crowd. Like most girls in Wakefield Cove High School, she was had a crush on the handsome, but arrogant, football jock. He never looked at her once. She considered him out of her league.

That all changed during her senior year. In college. Katy was dating more frequently than before, but she was determined to finish medical school before she got serious with any guy. Richard Wakefield transferred from Princeton to the UC Medical School where he met Tracy Coleman. He was immediately captivated by the exotic brunette, and Richard finally convinced her to go out with him. They were inseparable until he took her home to meet his parents at Thanksgiving; shortly afterward they split.

Richard Wakefield had fallen in love with Tracy. He wanted to marry her and told his father so when he brought her home to meet the family. James Wakefield took an immediate disliking to the girl his son brought home; she was from a poor San Francisco family, not the kind of family he wanted his son to associate with.

Over the holiday weekend, Wakefield assigned a private investigator who worked almost exclusively for him to look into Tracy's background. What the P.I. discovered only confirmed his low opinion of the girl. She had been in trouble with the law many times and had been arrested for drug possession, shoplifting and theft. One of her brothers was in prison for armed robbery. The family had all sorts of financial problems and Wakefield thought they were just plain white trash.

Wakefield was furious when his son told him on Sunday night that he wanted to marry Tracy Coleman. "I won't allow you to marry that kind of girl. If you do, I will disown you!" He proceeded to inform Richard what he had found out about Tracy, but his son didn't care. Richard and Tracy stormed out of the house and drove back to Berkeley.

Notwithstanding his father's objections, Richard and Tracy could not stay away from each other. During the next three months, it was Tracy who came up with the idea to set Katy up with Richard. She wanted to throw his father off her scent. She knew that Richard would never love the mousy little blonde she roomed with, and Katy was too trusting and naive to figure out what was going on behind her back.

At first, Richard didn't want to do it, but then he thought about the advantages of such a relationship: Katy was from a good family that lived in his home town. His father and her father were close friends and confidants; they often traveled together. Her parents were wealthy in their own right; and Katy definitely had good breeding. Katy was controllable he thought; she would make a good wife for a prominent doctor. Richard intended to be the most prominent Oncologist in Northern California.

He also agreed with Tracy that Katy was naïve and too trusting when it came to them. He was sure that with just a little attention, he could easily make Katy fall in love with him. He would be able to get his father off his back and still have Tracy too. It was the perfect solution. Richard began to court Katy. He put on a big show of love and affection for the shy woman, and she fell easily into his trap.

Katy was surprised when Richard asked her out because she thought he and Tracy were still in love even though they both started dating other people. Tracy assured her that wasn't the case. She seemed eager for Katy to go out with Richard, so Katy agreed just to satisfy her friend. After the first date, he asked for another, and then another and another. Sometimes Tracy and a boyfriend double dated with Katy and Richard, and the four of them had a lot of fun.

Katy dated Richard for almost two months when she knew she was seriously in love with him. She couldn't resist the steady onslaught of his attentions, and she thought his feelings were real. Just before her graduation, Richard asked her to marry him. She agreed, but they decided to wait until they were both out of medical school and practicing on their own. Tracy, who always wanted to know every detail of their dates, actually seemed thrilled for her.

After graduation, Katy attended medical school while Richard finished his last year. Tracy Coleman seemed to disappear from their lives. A year later, Richard began his internship, then residency at St. Claire's Hospital. He was on staff in the Oncology Department when Katy started her internship at the hospital too. At the age of twenty seven, Katy Dumont married Richard Wakefield. The happy couple had the the biggest wedding ceremony Wakefield Cove ever witnessed.

Through the years, Katy kept in touch with Tracy Coleman who moved back to San Francisco and got a job at a large real estate firm. On the phone one night, she told Katy that she hated that job and wanted to get away from San Francisco.

Six months before Katy and Richard got married, Tracy moved to Wakefield Cove and got a job at a local real estate agency there. She and Tracy resumed their friendship and were as close as they ever were in college. Although she dated frequently, Tracy did not try to cultivate any other female friends besides Katy. That made Katy curious, but not alarmed.

Katy didn't know it, but Richard and Tracy had met several times while she was living in San Francisco. They eagerly continued their relationship when she moved to Wakefield Cove. Her real estate job was perfect for assignations. They trysted frequently in the vacant homes she sold. When Richard traveled on business, Tracy often joined him later at his hotel. There were many people in Wakefield Cove, who either suspected or knew of the relationship between Richard and Tracy, but they kept their mouths shut.

Katy never knew a thing; she was too much in love. When she and Richard were married, Tracy Coleman was her Maid of Honor. A few months after their marriage, Richard was on the fast track to become Assistant Department Head of the Oncology Department. It was a big deal, and Tracy was thrilled for him.

That afternoon, standing at the bedroom door, Katy screamed. "You bastards!" Fury like she had never felt before consumed her. The pair on the bed turned to look at her. Richard was as shocked to see her as she was to see the two of them. Tracy had a cold look of triumph in her eyes.

"Katy, I can explain." Richard cried as he jumped off the bed. He tried to grab her arm. Katy took the photographs out of her purse and threw them at him. "Can you explain these? Can you explain that you have been fucking my best friend, Richard? How long has this been going on?"

Tracy did too. Katy didn't expect an answer, but she got one anyway. "It never stopped, you fool! We've been lovers all a long!" Tracy gave a sarcastic laugh and sneered at the shocked look on Katy's face. Richard bent to pick up the pictures. He blanched when he saw them. "Where did you get these." he demanded. Katy didn't answer him.

"The the pictures, Richard? Can you explain them?" Richard just looked at her with anger and denial in his eyes. For the second time today, Katy felt like she had just been gutted. She ran into the large walk in closet she shared with Richard and grabbed several large suitcases from a top shelf. She started stuffing clothes into them. When she was finished, she started toward the staircase with a suitcase in each hand.

"What are you doing?" Richard demanded. He tried to block her way.

"What does it look like, you perverted bastard? It's bad enough that I find you in bed with that bitch, but sex with kids is just too much! I'm leaving you and filing for divorce!" Katy was angry and she was practically shouting. She had been completely in love with Richard, and she had been a complete fool.

"Stop her, Richard! She'll ruin everything!" Tracy shouted.

"You're not leaving now. A divorce would ruin my chances to become Assistant Department Head. I am not going to let you do that!" Richard snarled as he grabbed the suitcases away from her. He didn't know how Katy had gotten hold of the photographs, but he instinctively knew that Tracy had set him up to be discovered today, but wasn't going to let anything get in his way.

"You're crazy if you think I am staying!" Katy was determined and tried to grab the suitcases away from him. That's when Richard hit her across the face and split her bottom lip. His face was red with fury and his eyes seemed to bulge out of his head. He punched her hard in the side. She could feel a rib crack. "Don't, Richard! Please stop!" Tracy was horrified and was screaming at her lover.

Richard kept punching away at her. He's always had a bad temper, but he hid it well. Now he was out of control and didn't hear a word Tracy said. Blow after blow struck Katy. Her face, arms, back and chest were pummeled hard. Every time Richard hit her, she backed up a little to get away from him, but he kept on coming. She tried to block his blows, but it was no use.

She was at the top of the stairs when his next blow split her lip and sent her tumbling down the long flight of stairs. She hit her head hard against the banister and then hit her back and hips several more times as she went down. The fall seemed to take forever, but when she hit hard against the the Italian marble tile on the foyer floor. Katy felt an excruciating pain shoot through her left leg below the kneecap. She passed out from the pain.

Katy slowly and carefully recounted the story to her mother, but she carefully left out the part about the pictures and the DVD. She didn't think her mother could stand finding out that her husband was a perverted child molester. Helen Dumont was stunned.

"Richard is telling everyone that he found you in bed yesterday with Dan Tolbert. When Dan tried to leave, you tried to stop him. Dan beat you up and pushed you down the stairs before Richard could stop him. He said that Tracy Coleman was there and she saw the whole thing." her mother said grimly. She didn't believe a word of it, but she thought Katy needed to know.

Dan Tolbert owned a bar in town. He was a large, good looking man who owned a bar downtown. His looks and bad boy persona attracted women right and left. Before she married Richard, Dan had asked her out on a date her, but Katy said no that she was engaged. Dan didn't like to be told no by a woman.

"That didn't happen! I never even dated Dan Tolbert. I sure as hell never went to bed with him, and as far as I know, he's never been in our house." Richard owned the house before they were married almost a year ago, so she didn't know if Dan had ever been there before they were married.

Richard and Dan were in the same class at school and the two ran together for a time. Then Richard went to Princeton and Dan, whose parents owned the bar that he now owned, attended a local community college. The two were in different social circles; eventually the friendship simply stopped.

Her mother had a stricken look on her face. "Dan Tolbert confirmed everything that Richard and Tracy said. Sheriff Brown arrested him. There will be a trial and he will probably go to prison for what he did."

"Why would he do that? Why would he say such a thing?" Katy asked, but she knew the answer. Richard or his father, James Wakefield, must have bribed him somehow. Dan Tolbert always needed money; the bar wasn't doing too well. The Wakefields were very wealthy; they could easily afford to pay the man off. Her mother looked miserable, but she had no answer.

In the space of twenty four hours, Katy Wakefield's life had changed. One day she was a respected physician in love with her husband; the next day, she was a cheating spouse and a pariah in the community. That wasn't the worst of it, though: three months later, both of Katy's parents were dead, and she was a woman on the run.


	3. Chapter 3

Dark Desire – Chapter 3

Present Day, Shreveport, Louisiana

The air on this hot, muggy, late June night was thick and cloying as Eric stepped out of his sports car, but as a vampire, he didn't feel uncomfortable. He had just pulled into the back of Fangtasia and was getting ready to make an unannounced visit to Pam, the Sheriff of Area 5. It was purely a social visit; he missed his child and wanted to see her.

Since losing Sookie, his personal life was in the toilet. There was no joy or love in his life. He was lonely, but he would never admit to that, not even to Pam. Some nights it was an effort just to rise at dusk. On occasion, he felt he understood what made some vamps want to meet the dawn.

At first he fed on the willing stable of fangbangers who crowded into the bar or hung around court. He even indulged in sex with them, but lately he could not stand to let them touch him. Those mind-numbed robots had nothing to offer except their sick and twisted addiction to sex with a vampire, any vampire, and they made his skin crawl.

Now he drank the disgusting synthetic blood for sustenance. His rare sexual needs were now exclusively serviced by female vamps, but they were one night stands only. He knew he would ever trust a human female near him again.

At this point in his life, Pam was the only person he knew who could jolt him out of the constant miasma of unhappiness that surrounded him. Losing Sookie had almost destroyed his will to live, but Pam seemed to have no sympathy for him. She was fearless and had absolutely no hesitation in telling him to buck up and get on with his life. "No human is worth it. There are more where she came from, so get over it." she brusquely told him every time they met.

One night at the palace in New Orleans, Pam made him so angry by her sarcastic comments about his former lover that he punched a hole in the wall. Another time, he picked Pam up and threw her into the wall. She bounced back and punched him hard in the balls, but her lip was bloody. He was immediately sorry for hurting his child; he knew she only wanted what was best for him. "Why do you put up with me, Pam?" he asked her that night.

"You are my maker, Eric, and I love you. I don't like seeing you so unhappy." was her simple answer.

Tonight, after four hours of driving, stopping only for gas, Eric made it to Shreveport. He had spent the last two nights in Arkansas. He had business with the new king there. He had taken a small retinue of vampires and humans, including Jillian Brown, one of the human telepaths who worked for him now. He had listed her as his secretary. The other king had no idea of her special abilities. That came in handy, and Eric got the better of the deal.

After the business meeting was over, Jillian asked for time off to attend a family reunion. He agreed, and sent the other vampires and humans on ahead. They would be in New Orleans before daybreak tomorrow morning.

Eric wasn't that eager to get back to court yet himself. He was a good king, but he was tired of arbitrating the petty squabbles of his kindred and their companions. He was mentally exhausted by the unending demands on his time. He needed a break; he needed to relax a little before putting his nose to the grindstone again. He hit the all vampire nightclubs and bars in Little Rock. When he tired of that, he decided to make an unscheduled call on Judith Vardamon. It was an impromptu decision; he hadn't planned on visiting Bill's former lover.

When the guard at her gate announced him, he said that he was there to give Judith an update about the telepaths she had introduced to him, but frankly, he was just curious to see her house. He wanted to she how she lived. Judith could not have been more surprised that the Vampire King of Louisiana had shown up at her gate. It would have been rude and impolitic to deny him entry, so she invited him up to the house.

Judith made no bones about the fact that she didn't like Eric much, but for some strange reason he felt more comfortable around her than he did with most vampires. Perhaps it was because she didn't try to hide her feelings or suck up to him. She wasn't his subject, so perhaps she didn't feel it was necessary to pretend that she liked him. Some instinct told him that it was just her nature; she wouldn't suck up to him, even if she was his subject.

Besides his child, Pam, Judith was the only vamp who didn't seem to want anything from him. Well, that wasn't exactly true: she had negotiated Bill's freedom quite cleverly with the offer of services from her telepathic friends. She made it quite clear what she was doing. Of course, her friends benefited hugely from their contracts with him, but she never asked anything for herself.

Eric had realized during their negotiations, that while he didn't exactly like her either, Judith was an honest and honorable vampire. He didn't meet many vamps like that, and that made him curious about her. He reasoned tjat he had a right to visit her; because of her telepathic friends, they were sort of in business together.

The elegance of her home surprised him, but he was even more surprised by the wall of pictures outside her large family room. He knew she had several human lovers before and had spent quite a lot of time with humans, but he had never guessed how much. He recognized Doc Hampton right away. Judith had introduced them once long ago at Fangtasia.

Although she wasn't happy that Eric Northman had shown up at her door at such a late hour, Judith was a proper hostess and gave the King of Louisiana the courtesy that was due his position. As they were sitting in the family room, Eric said, "I see you like the dark, brooding type; Doc looked enough like Bill to be his brother. Did all your human boyfriends look like Bill?" He was honestly curious.

"You didn't come here to discuss my love life, Eric. We both know that, so why are you here?" she replied curtly.

Eric ignored her irritation. "You know, I am really curious about what makes you tick, Judith. I know you were with your human, Doc Hampton for a long time, but you had several human companions before that. Humans are generally a pitiful, ignorant lot; they are unworthy of us, so why humans; why not vampires?"

Eric's bigoted attitude annoyed her; she almost didn't answer; but she did. "If you really want to know, I believe that we vampires can only find lasting true love with a human. Even if we fall in love with another vampire, you know it can't last long without one of us becoming enthralled to the other. Even if that were not so, we seem to only feed each others worst instincts, and become more feral and barbaric. Although most of our kind would think I am crazy, I believe that it is only with a human that vampires have any chance of happiness. It is the only chance we have of retaining any humanity. Yes, it's only with a human that we have any chance of being truly happy, even though we must pay for it in the end when they die. I believe that humans are both our curse and our blessing, Eric."

Eric wasn't buying any of it. He didn't think vampires could be happy, and he didn't really believe in lasting love. The idea of any vampire wanting to retain his humanity was completely incomprehensible to him since vampires were so superior to humans.

"Why on earth would you want to do that? Retain your humanity, that is. Don't you like being vampire? Why are still friends with Bill and Sookie? Why did you give him up so easily? Aren't you angry with him? You should hate him as much as I do." Eric was perplexed, and the questions tumbled out one after the other.

"I didn't choose to be a vampire, I wish Lorena had just killed me and let me die. As to your other question; I love Bill. I know he loves me; he has since we first met, but he loves Sookie more. I know only Sookie can make him truly happy because she is human, and I am vampire. If you really loved Sookie, you would see that only Bill can make her truly happy too. I hope you leave them alone, Eric." she said quietly, but firmly

"Sookie loves me too, but I have no intention of bothering her or Bill. I will leave them alone, even though I think she can do much better than Bill Compton." he said sharply. Pain showed on his face. _He is still in love with her._ Judith thought. He was broadcasting his emotions loudly.

"Do you really think that, Eric? Bill defied his maker for Sookie; he would have died for her; can you say the same thing?" Her voice was just as sharp, but then it softened measurably. She totally understood his pain; she felt the same for Bill.

She continued, "I know she lovedsyou, or at least, she did. I know because I felt her emotions for you. I know it is possible to love more than one person at the same time, but love is not equal; one love is always greater."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked.

"I am an empath, Eric. I know she loved you because I felt her emotions for you the night you two quarreled in the bar; you know, the night Appius was there. But I also know she loves Bill more. She always has and always will. Neither of us ever had a ghost of a chance with those two. I can't be angry because they love each other. Bill and Sookie were meant to be together. I knew that from the first night I met her, and I think some part of you knows it too." she said.

Eric said nothing. The sight of Sookie and Bill in the cemetery after the fight proved the truth of Judith's words. The memory of how Sookie responded to Bill. the memory of their passion, and the way they called out their love for each other was etched forever on his brain. He would never forget that night as long as he lived. _She can't help the fact that she loves him_. Eric thought; for the first time since he lost Sookie, he felt his hatred for Bill Compton was not justified.

They were both silent for a few moments. The silence was uncomfortable and awkward for them both. Judith asked him if he had fed and he shook his head no. He was glad she changed the subject. She left the room for a few minutes and came back with two bags of blood from her store in the basement. She warmed them up in the microwave for a few seconds, palpated the bags to mix them up and gave one to him. The stored human blood tasted great. His face showed pleasant surprise.

"I only use AB negative from willing donors who are not druggies or fangbangers. My sources are aware of my likes and dislikes. They know that I would be able to tell in a minute if the donors had been coerced or are not clean in every way. I pay them a pretty penny, and they have not disappointed me yet." she explained.

"Why go through all that trouble and expense? Why not just glamour someone, or use synthetic blood? Why not just feed directly from a fangbanger? There are always so many of them around." Eric was mystified.

"Oh, I do hunt once in a while when I get the urge, but my donors are always willing. They are paid handsomely for their little donations. Of course, I glamour them so they don't remember anything. I never use fangbangers; they disgust me. I can always tell a fangbanger: their addition to us produces some hormone that taints their blood. To me a fangbanger tastes worse than the cheapest synthetic blood." Judith grimaced. Eric happened to agree with her assessment of fangbangers, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

She continued, "The arrangement I have with my suppliers is legal and it is more than satisfactory. I absolutely hate the taste of synthetic blood, I drink it only in emergencies, but one of my labs is working on a formula that would make synthetics taste more palatable, more like the real thing." The information she gave him was not common knowledge, but neither was it private. Anyone, who wanted to find out what her labs were doing, only had to search the internet or read the right reports.

"That sounds promising. Let me know if you need any financial backing." he said. He was genuinely interested in that.

Judith had no intention of allowing Eric Northman into any her businesses, so she simply said no assistance was needed at this time. They talked a little while more, then she showed him to a guest bedroom where he could retire for the day. When he cocked his eye and gave her a suggestive leer, she said. "No way, Jose! You're not my type!" and huffily walked down the hall toward her own bedroom.

When Eric stepped inside Fangtasia, Pam looked up and flew to his side. "It's good to see you, master." she said. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"No particular reason. Just thought I'd stop by and see you on my way back from Little Rock. I though I'd stay the night at my house before driving back to New Orleans tomorrow night." He said as he assumed her seat on the throne in back of the bar.

The two vamps talked for a few minutes when Bill Compton walked in the door with two other vamps that Eric didn't recognize. Bill saw Eric and nodded politely to him; the three vamps sat down at a booth in the corner. Eric and Pam didn't pay any attention to them.

A half an hour later, the two new vamps got up and walked out. Bill rose and walked toward him. "I've been meaning to come down to New Orleans some time this week and see you. I have a proposition for you, but since you're here, you saved me a trip." Bill said coolly.

"Really? You have a proposition for me? What makes you think I want to hear anything you have to say, Compton?" Eric skeptically asked with a hard look on his face. He still hated Bill, even if not as much as before.

"I prefer discussing it in the office, if you don't mind." Bill replied.

"All right; let's go." Eric got up and walked toward the back.

"Eric, it's probably a trick." Pam said scornfully.

"It's all right, Pam. I want to hear what he has to say." He was at the office door and motioned Bill inside. He sat behind the desk, and Bill took the one chair in front of it.

"I have started a new business. It's a detective agency. We specialize in finding people and things for other vamps, but we also have quite a few human clients. The business is quite profitable; in fact, it's been a real money maker." Bill began.

"Why are you telling me this, Bill? You know that because of my agreement with Nyall and Judith, you are free to do what you want. You don't need my permission to start a business, so what do you want from me?" Eric demanded.

"I know I don't need your permission to start a business, and I am not asking for it. I am willing to give you a percentage of the new business, at no cost to you, but there would be certain conditions that have to be met." Bill kept his cool.

"And what would those conditions be, I wonder?" The viking offered.

"You would have to agree to protect my humans and their progeny from any harm. That agreement would have to be in perpetuity, Eric." The younger vamp said firmly.

"Your humans, as in plural? You mean you have more than one human, Bill? My, my, my. What does Sookie have to say about that?" Eric leered.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Northman. I am talking about my human family and Sookie's family, of course."

"Your human family? I thought Jessie Compton was the last living Compton. He died several years ago, if I remember correctly."

Bill explained. "Jesse was the last living Compton; he was the grandson of my son, Thomas Compton. My daughter, Sarah, survived me, and she had a family too. Andy and Portia Bellefleur are her, great grandchildren. Now Andy has two twin boys. One of the is named William Thomas after me. They are all my family, and so are Sookie's relatives. They are all "my humans," and I claim them all, but I can't protect them all, so I am asking you to extend your protection to them as my king."

Eric was shocked by this information. He thought it was kind of ironic that the hated Bellefleurs could be descendants of Bill, but he saw all kinds of possibilities here. "But, I am not really your king, am I? So why should I do as you ask?" he said.

"I am willing to give you 25% percent of my new business venture to pay for your services. I have other lucrative business concerns that I am willing to share with you as well. Money is of no consequence to me. I would gladly give you 25% percent of all of my businesses, in order to protect my humans. All you have to do is sit back and let the money roll in." Bill answered.

That perked Eric's ears up; he was definitely interested. Bill was resourceful and a good businessman in his own right. Any business Compton was in had to be very profitable, but he wasn't going make it easy on the vampire who stole Sookie from him. "Sounds interesting. What about Sookie? Where does she come into this? Does she know what you are doing?" Eric asked slyly.

"Sookie is my wife! She is off limits, Northman! I will not barter her to protect my other family!" Bill shot up from the chair and started to walk out the door.

"Calm down, Bill. That's not what I meant. Look, I did not expect this. I have to think about what you've said for a while. I was going to go back to New Orleans tomorrow night, but I think I will stick around for a few days. I'll give you a call while I am here and let you know what I have decided." Eric stood up signaling the discussion was over.

Bill nodded and walked out of the office. He paid his tab at the bar and left.

The next evening was a Saturday night. Sookie and Bill were at home babysitting the twins, Billy and Andy Jr. Halleigh called Sookie earlier that day to ask if they would watch the boys while she and Andy had a long awaited "Date Night." Both parents felt their love life needed a little spicing up, and they definitely needed some time alone. Bill and Sookie always jumped at every chance they could to babysit, so she said yes.

The Bellefleurs dropped the little boys off about seven. The twins were a year old now, trying to walk and active as hell. They were into everything. They kept both Bill and Sookie busy running after them. After feeding them, Sookie handed both boys to Bill who sat on a rocking chair in the living room and rocked them to sleep while he sang an old lullaby. He was sitting with the two babies sleeping in his arms when Eric knocked on the door.

Sookie opened the door and stepped aside. Eric took one step, but he couldn't enter the house. "What the...!" he said in surprise. He never had any problem entering another vampire's home before.

"Oops, I forgot. You may come in, Eric." Sookie laughed self-consciously. She took the babies upstairs, one by one, and put them to bed in the nursery they had made out of the smallest upstairs bedroom.

Eric sat down on the sofa. "What was that all about, Compton? How come I couldn't enter your house?" he asked curiously.

"It's Sookie's house now too. I put her name on the deed. Everything I own is half hers. Everything is in both our names now. She is my wife and we are partners in everything. Since she's human, you needed her permission to enter." Bill explained.

Eric had never heard of another vampire giving half of his wealth to a human. It just wasn't done. He looked at Bill as if he had truly gone crazy. Bill only smiled.

"Well, this is all very domestic and very human, Bill." Eric said. "Are the tiny humans your great, great, great grandchildren? Say, Sookie; how do you like being being a grandmother before the age of thirty? A three times great grandmother at that!" He sarcastically asked her as she came back down after putting the last baby to bed.

"I love Little Billy and Andy Jr, and I like it just fine, Eric." She answered hotly, "Bill and I are teaching them to call us Uncle Bill and Aunt Sookie. It will be a lot easier than having to explain our complicated relationship. It's just a lot simpler that way."

"I didn't expect you here tonight, Eric. I thought you were going to call me." Bill said darkly.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a knot, Bill. I have to go back to New Orleans tonight as something quite unexpected arose. I thought about your offer, and I have a counter offer for you, so I decided to drop by before I left Shreveport." Eric laughed.

"Go on." Bill said.

"Well first of all: do you know that Judith Vardamon is working on a formula to improve the taste of synthetic blood? I want part of that venture too. If I am right, you are helping her fund the research. Are you one of her partners, Bill?" the viking asked.

"Yes, Sookie and I own 49% of Judith's research venture; she owns 51% and has controlling interest. I don't think she wants any other partners, though." the younger vamp stated.

"I am not greedy. I only want 25%of of your detective agency and 25% of Judith's synthetic blood research venture. I am not interested in your other businesses, nor hers, but there is one thing else that I want. This demand is the most important of all to me, and it is non-negotiable: I want you to swear your fealty to me as well." Eric boldly said.

Sookie gasped when she heard that. "No, Bill. Don't do it. He's asking too much. Don't pledge yourself to him again! Don't get involved in his world again!" She was sitting on the sofa beside him.

Bill was quiet for several long moments. He took Sookie's hand and kissed it. "I cannot speak for Judith, she has the final say, and she may say no. But if both she and Sookie agree, I am willing to split our 49% percent fifty-fifty with you. If they both agree, you will own 24.5% of the venture on the condition that if more funding is needed, you will put up your share without hesitation."

He continued. "I have other demands, Eric, and these demands are also non-negotiable:

1. Sookie is not a part of this deal or any other arrangement we may enter into later. Sookie no longer has her telepathic gift, so she is of no use to you or any other vampire. To protect my family and Sookie's, I will readily pledge my fealty to you, but only on the condition that Sookie does not have to pledge fealty to you and never will.

2. Even in the unlikely event her telepathy returns, she will never have to work for you again.

3. You must swear an oath never to bother her in anyway, but you must swear to protect her with your life.

4. You must swear to protect all of my humans and their progeny. That includes both my family and Sookie's.

5. You will swear that you will not try to interfere with Sookie and me in any way. Any assignment you give me must be related to our common business interests only, unless I agree otherwise. And if I choose, I can refuse any assignment you give me with no penalty what-so-ever. You will not send me on useless errands like you did before."

"If you can agree to these terms, Eric, you have a deal." Bill said.

"You drive a hard bargain, Bill, but I accept. Do you need our lawyers to draw up a contract for your review?" Eric replied readily. He had been prepared to settle for a lot less, and he was more than thrilled with the outcome.

Bill Compton was a money maker; he was intelligent and capable, but more than that, he was honorable man. When he worked for him before, Eric had never doubted Bill's loyalty. He only wished that all of his subjects were that way. He definitely liked the idea of Bill working for him again, so as far as Eric was concerned, he definitely got the better of the deal.

"No. That won't be necessary, Eric. But know this, if you break your word in anyway, the deal is off. Do we agree?"

Eric nodded and the two vamps shook hands. When Eric drove away, he was whistling.


	4. Chapter 4

For those who have read The Healing Heart, you will recognize much of this chapter as an expanded version of part of the Epilogue from that fic. It just fits in to this story at this time.

Dark Desire – Chapter 4

New Orleans, three months later.

Nine months to the date after Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton were married, Eric Northman, Vampire King of Louisiana, sat beside his child, Pam Ravenscroft, the new Sheriff of Area 5. The two sat with a small retinue of vampire attendants at a table in the back of a large ballroom in one of the most exclusive hotels in the French Quarter of New Orleans. They were attending a charity dinner dance that was being given to help U.S. military men and women who had been wounded in hotspots around the world, especially Afghanistan and Iraq.

As the Vampire King of the State of Louisiana, Eric felt it was his duty to attend these human functions, and he did so on a regular basis. He always held polite conversations with the human politicians and businessmen who were also in attendance. He always danced with human females who were their wives or girlfriends, ignoring the obvious lustful looks that many gave him.

Of course, the humans thought he was only a very wealthy vampire businessman and a great philanthropist. With the Vampire Rights Act so much in the news right now, he felt it only wise to support these charities, and put up a good front. He wanted to be seen as an important businessman and a pillar of society. So far he had been doing a good job, Eric was nothing, if not a consummate politician.

It was mid-September and New Orleans was under a hurricane warning. It was the third hurricane to threaten this part of the Gulf Coast this season. The storm was expected to be relatively mild, no more than a category three. As usual, the intrepid people of New Orleans decided to hunker down and ride out the storm. Even after Katrina, it would take more than a Cat 3 wind to blow most people out of the city. Although many homes and businesses were boarded up, in the French Quarter and elsewhere in the city, the nightlife of New Orleans went on as usual.

The human band was taking a break from their music, and Eric was taking a break from networking with the humans in the room. As he sat nursing a Royal Blue, he began to review his short reign as king. The past year had been one of the busiest of his life. He had been a good king for his vampire subjects. Politics at court level far surpassed anything he was used to as the former Sheriff of Area 5. Just keeping on top of what was going on in the other kingdoms and queendoms in the country kept his spies busy. He ran his vampire kingdom more like a business than a medieval realm. All in all, he treated his subjects fairly, and they gave him the loyalty and support he deserved.

Unlike Sophie-Anne and Felipe de Castro, Eric held monthly meetings at court with his sheriffs to keep on top of what was happening in his own state. He wanted no surprises; so he stayed in the know. Since the arrangement he made with Bill Compton three months ago, he spent at least one or two nights a month at Fangtasia in Shreveport meeting with both Judith and Bill to discuss their joint ventures.

These face to face meetings were not necessary since a video conference would have done the job, but they gave the overworked vampire king a regularly scheduled break from the demands of court life. Eric began to look forward to these meetings with Bill and his sibling. On occasion, he visited Bill and Sookie at home.

His reign had been good for the human population of Louisiana as well. He was a good king, and an even better businessman. He actively supported the business community in Louisiana. He spent a lot of his own personal wealth helping the human population of New Orleans recover from Katrina. His efforts in this regard were not made from any sense of concern for humans, but from a need to become an integral part of New Orleans.

His many business interested included a new bar in the French Quarter called Fangs II. Eric felt more at home at the bar than anywhere else. The bar was a cover, of course, but it was a big tourist spot. Because of that, Fangs II made money hand over fist. In fact, any business venture he put his hand to, seemed to prosper.

Eric Northman had been recently recognized by the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce as one of Louisiana's newest and most prominent vampire businessmen. Business Week did a five page spread on him for their August issue. He made several appearances on local evening business television programs, but tonight, all of of that meant little to him. He was suffering from boredom and mental apathy. Nonetheless, he went through the motions.

During the last few months, the ache in Eric's heart slowly began to heal. He began to forget about Sookie and went for days without thinking about her. He sometimes thought of Bill Compton and was envious. It wasn't because Bill had Sookie; it was because it was so evident that Bill was happy and content.

Eric knew that Bill still had many strong friendships in the vampire community, and was respected by many of his kindred. However, Bill had informed him on one occasion that it was Sookie and his human family that made his life worthwhile. Eric didn't envy Bill's entanglements with humans; he could not imagine himself willingly involved with a group of such petty, inferior beings. It was Bill's happiness and contentment that Eric coveted.

In more than a thousand years, Eric had never given much consideration to being happy and content. As a newly made vampire, all of his efforts were involved in feeding and staying alive. Today, life was much easier, but happiness and love were just not on the radar for most vampires. These were emotions vampires just did not concern themselves with. Yet every time they met, Bill fairly glowed with contentment; it was like he just couldn't help himself. That irritated the hell out of Eric; he wanted to feel that way too.

Before falling in love with Sookie, Eric had never really believed a vampire could fall in love, but now he wasn't so sure. One thing he was sure of, though: he had been hurt bad by Sookie. He was determined never to let any female, especially a human female, get close enough to hurt him again.

His sexual needs were still exclusively serviced by willing female vamps, but he was getting tired and bored with them too. The female vamps at court and at his bar usually sucked up to him because they wanted some favor, or another. He wondered if there was really any difference between them and the human fangbangers that wanted sex with him or wanted him to drink their blood. Nothing seemed real about the vamps who serviced him.

He preferred to entertain himself with females vamps who were visiting, or just passing through the city. At least these females had nothing to gain from him, and usually didn't try to ingratiate themselves with him. Even so, he knew something was missing in his life. He had tasted love, and even though he was afraid to be hurt, a huge part of his heart wanted that feeling again. He didn't think that was very likely.

One night recently, he jokingly made another pass at Judith Vardamon; she was in New Orleans to visit her telepathic friends. Judith was a beautiful woman, but she wasn't his type, and he wasn't at all serious. He sometimes thought that that Bill's sibling was a self-righteous prig; sometimes he would do anything just to get a rise out of her. The look of sheer disgust on the small vamp's face was priceless. He kept the joke going while she just got huffier and huffier. Finally, she had enough, gave him the finger, and left.

"When hell freezes over, Northman." she spat at him before she walked out of his office. He had laughed so hard that bloody tears ran down his face. It was the first real laugh he had since he lost Sookie.

As she sat beside him tonight, Pam Ravenscroft was worried about her sire. She managed to see him for several days once a month, but she had seen very little improvement in his mental attitude these last few months. There were nights that she positively hated the blonde telepath that she once considered friend. She had seen the ungrateful human only twice since they split; she had attended both the human and vampire weddings as Eric's guest.

On occasion, Bill Compton brought other vampires into Fangtasia, but only to conduct business. Except for the few times he met with Eric, his visits were never long, and he rarely spoke to her. That was just fine with Pam. Both Sookie and Bill had hurt Eric badly; she had never seen him in such emotional pain. Pam didn't know if she would ever forgive her former human friend, Sookie Stackhouse, or Bill Compton, for that matter, either.

A stir at the table in front of theirs caught Eric's attention again. He had watched and listened disinterestedly to the conversation going on at that table all night. Unless required for business purposes, he generally had no interest in humans, so he didn't know why he even bothered. Later when the dinner was almost over, a tall good looking human male joined the party and sat down in an open chair next to a redheaded human female who sat with her back toward the vamps' table.

She didn't seem too happy to see the new guy. They whispered fiercely back and forth. They were clearly quarreling. The woman had a low husky voice. Suddenly, she slapped the man across the face and demanded that he leave her alone. When he made a grab for her, she dumped a glass of red wine on his head, stood up to leave and turned around.

_She's too tall, and she has no breasts!_ Eric thought as he saw what the woman looked like for the first time. He was suddenly deeply disappointed. It was if her height and small firm breasts were a deep character flaw. Her face was pretty, but average. Her mouth was too wide; she had freckles across a pert nose. He hated freckles; they made a woman look like an unsophisticated farm girl. As far as he was concerned, that was a character flaw too.

He looked away, but for some reason, he felt a funny sensation in the pit of his stomach. He recognized the feeling immediately; humans call the sensation "Butterflies in the Stomach." He shook his head in disbelief; this was not happening to him! He turned his eyes to her again and continued his mental inventory of her appearance.

The redhead looked about thirty. He could tell that red was not her natural color. Her hair was cut too short for his taste. She had small, shell like ears and her complexion was flawless, fair and creamy. From the low cut, red gown she wore, he could tell that she had a graceful long neck and a well shaped back. She clearly worked out and took good care of herself. When she stood, her movements were quick, but graceful. He could see softly rounded hips and a long, slender leg peeking out from a slit on the side of the dress.

Suddenly, the air-conditioning vent over their table blew her scent to him. Eric jerked back in surprise as her smell filled his nostrils. Her scent was unique. It was wonderful and sweet, like orange blossoms, honey and some undefined heady spice. It was better than any human female scent he had ever smelled before, better even than Sookie Stackhouse. His eyes opened wide at that realization. He deliberately inhaled he scent again just to make sure; the second whiff was just as good as the first. The woman had his full attention now.

As she started to walk toward the door, an strong gust of wind, exploded through the ballroom's large front windows. Water gushed through the openings. Glass, dishes and tableware and food flew everywhere striking the attendees. Everyone dove for cover. The redhead woman was thrown backward into his table with cuts on her face, throat and arms. Another gust of wind, brought part of the roof down on top of some of the guests. Most of the lights went out and confusion reigned.

The redhead had been knocked unconscious, and she was lying on the floor in front of him. He felt a sudden strange urge to protect this unknown woman and moved to cover her body before another vamp did. The two of them were partially covered by the vamps' large table which made a kind of tent over most of their bodies.

She had a lot of small cuts and blood was smeared all over her face, neck and arms. A few of the cuts were open and flowing. The smell of her blood drew him; it intoxicated him. Eric did what comes naturally to vampires; he began to lick the blood off of her. He lapped at the open wounds then closed them with his saliva.

The taste of her blood was heady; it was just as wonderful as it smelled. He did something else that comes naturally to vampires: he became very aroused. He could feel his erection straining against the fabric of his trousers. He hadn't felt this sexually excited since Sookie. He began to lick some more.

Her blood drove him wild; he could feel it as it coursed down his throat and it aroused him to the point of orgasm. The front of his pants became damp with his effluence. He was glad the that the suit he wore was dark so the wet stain wouldn't show.

His fangs were automatically extended to their full length, but he was so careful as he licked more blood off of her face. He was fully aroused now, and he wanted her badly, but he wanted her to want him just as much. He wanted to tease her until her body quaked with need. He wanted to bury himself into her so deeply that she screamed out his name. He was taken aback by the strength of his desire for her. The thought that this stranger could provoke such strong emotions in him was embarrassing and confusing.

He could smell and feel her hot blood pulsing in a strong rythm against his lips. Instinctively, he wanted to sink his fangs deep into the pulsing artery and drink his fill of the heady nectar that flowed there, but he knew he didn't dare. It took every ounce of self-control not to give in to the urge to bite into her precious flesh; bloodlust flared strongly within him now. Some part of him knew that if he gave into that impulse, he may not be able to stop drinking until he drained her as completely as he would a fairy.

Eric prided himself on his self-control. He had never completely lost that control, except for the first few horrible years as a newly turned vampire. Appius had trained him well, and except for the few times that the two of them managed to capture a fairy, he never totally drained a victim unless that was what he intended to do in the first place. The thought that this unknown woman could so easily make him lose control now shocked him. It made him feel both resentful and awed at the same time.

He inhaled deeply again as he tried to place the woman's scent. Unlike Sookie Stackhouse, he could not detect even the slightest amount of fairy or supe blood in the woman he held in his arms. Her scent was totally human, and yet, there was something so completely different about her. That difference was unique and totally her own. It intrigued him; it drew him like a magnet.

For some unexplained reason, he knew that could not stand to drain this woman; he could not stand to see her die. He wanted much more than her blood. He wanted much more than sex. For a split second, he wanted to own her body and soul. For a split second, he wanted to claim her as his human. Those feelings both confused and shocked him, so he pushed them out of his mind.

The feel of her soft, silky skin under his lips, tongue and hands was like nothing he had ever felt before. He used his saliva to heal the all small wounds caused by the flying glass. He did not want scars to mar the perfection of her creamy complexion. He moved his mouth toward the base of her throat and laved the hollow there tentatively with his tongue. As she felt his slightly rough tongue moving over her sensitive skin, the woman moaned lightly and automatically pressed herself against him.

Her eyes were still closed; his vampire instincts told him that she was not aware of what she was doing as her arms surrounded him in a welcome embrace. She boldly kissed him back with a hot passion that matched his. Her natural response to him was like an aphrodisiac; it inflamed him until his blood felt like it was as hot as molten lava. He was lost in the sensations that her sweet mouth and tongue gave him. He forgot that they were lying under a table in a hurricane damaged ballroom. His breathing became ragged and harsh, deep shuddering groans escaped his throat.

He could feel her body quiver as his lips and his tongue explored further along the hard bone of her clavicle. Her heart was racing as she gasped in delight. She was just as aroused as he was and that knowledge gave him an unexpected thrill of pleasure and happiness. He laughed softly into her ear and nibbled at her earlobe. He could feel the silvery frissons of pleasure as they rippled through her skin where ever their bodies and mouths touched.

"Mmnh!...hanh!...hanh!...mmnh!" Excited mewling moans echoed in his ear. For a moment he wondered who was making such a silly noise, until he realized it was coming from his own mouth. She started singing her own song of desire, answering him back, moan for moan. The sounds of her pleasure only turned his flame up higher.

He moved his lips softly over her brow and eyelids. He suckled lightly on her lower lip, then trailed his tongue once more down her jawline and over her luscious throat sucking softly against the tender skin.

She shivered uncontrollably as his mouth, tongue and hands brought her to the peak of arousal. He backed off a little until she began to calm, then quickly brought her back to the summit and held her there for what seemed an eternity. She was panting; her heart and her pulse was pounding loudly lilke a jackhammer. He skin was heated and she was starting to sweat. It was clear that she wanted him, but in his excitement, he wanted to hear her beg him to take her.

Wanting even more, his hand slipped under the top of her strapless evening gown and cupped a breast. The small swollen bud came alive in his hand as his fingers gently pinched and abraded it under her clothing. Pushing the top of her dress down to expose one small breast, he teased the rosy bud with the tip of his tongue and began to suckle lightly, scraping it gently with the tip of his fangs.

The suction of his mouth and the touch of his fangs against her delicate flesh sent fire roaring through her veins, her womb spasmed as she reached orgasm. He could feel the waves of liquid heat spreading through her belly and thighs. He was lying fully on top of her now; his pelvis grinding against hers. He felt the tension building again in her lower abdomen seeking release as he moved and rubbed against her until she cried out softly against his bare throat.

The feel of her breath against his bare skin and the sweet heady scent of her arousal filled his nostrils. From the ardency of her response, he realized that she had not been with a man in a long, long time. That thought excited him so much; he could not remember the last time he had wanted a woman this much, not even Sookie. He felt more alive than he had in months. The feeling was so good, and he didn't want it to stop.

He wanted to give her the release she needed again, so he moved his other hand down to draw her skirt up. He found the slit in the side of the skirt and slid his hand under her dress. Slowly, tenderly, he moved his hand up, caressing the soft, silky skin of her inner thighs. Her legs began to open for him. Shuddering once more, she arched against him, welcoming him. His large hand neared the leg of her panties. He slipped his fingers underneath the thin lace searching for her secret sweet spot, searching for the entrance to her inner channel. He was almost there.

Suddenly, she became fully aware of her surroundings and opened her eyes. She felt his arousal straining against his clothing and pressed hard against her stomach. She dropped her hands to her sides, and stopped moving. "Stop!" she ordered.

Moving quickly, she pushed his probing hand away with one of her own. Her other hand was placed firmly across his mouth as he moved up to kiss her once more. She moved to cover he exposed breast. "What are you doing?" she said.

Eric automatically stopped and looked directly into her face. Then he saw her eyes. Even in the dark, he could see her large eyes were ringed with long dark lashes. They were the the most amazing shade of gray and they were flecked with lavender. She was staring wide-eyed straight at him; confusion and curiosity filled her wonderful eyes. She knew what he was, but he did not see an ounce of fear or disgust on her face. She didn't seem to be upset or insulted that a strange man was kissing and caressing her in such an intimate manner, and he wondered why.

They continued staring at each other for a long moment as she struggled with different emotions: confusion, embarrassment, shock, surprise, curiosity, interest, even amusement rippled like waves in her eyes. Like most vampires, he was an expert on human emotions; he had to be in order to survive. For a thousand years he learned to understand the subtle nuances of expression on the human face: a widened eye, a small frown, even a hint of a smile meant different things in different situations. He didn't think any human alive could surprise him now.

Still, he watched her face in utter fascination as the struggle played out across her face and eyes. He wondered which emotion would finally win. Finally, she seemed to think the situation was funny, and her eyes crinkled up at the edges. Clearly, amusement won the battle. _She has a sense of humor._ He thought.

"Are you having fun, Mr. Northman? Yes, I know who you are." she said in a dry voice, but it came out almost as a laugh.

"Oh, yes! I am having such delicious fun, and if you let me, I can guarantee you will have delicious fun, too." he said in a soft seductive purr.

She actually laughed at him. "I bet you could, too, but I have to get up now."

"Are you afraid? Are you angry" he asked.

"No." was the quick reply. "I'm not afraid because I don't think you want to hurt me. I really can't be angry either, since I was clearly having a good time." She blushed and almost giggled when he laughed out loud at her bold statement. "But alas, the fun is over. As I said, I really have to get up now."

"Why? Don't you want to stay with me? I could glamour you and make you want to stay." he whispered softly blowing into her ear once more. He felt her shiver a little at that very suggestion. He pushed his influence at her, but he didn't try very hard. He didn't want to glamour her, not yet anyway.

If she was affected by his influence, she sure didn't show it. "No, your glamour won't work on me. I can't be hypnotized." This time she did laugh. Her laughter was throaty and husky too. He didn't want it to stop.

"Why not? Are you a telepath, or maybe a fairy, perhaps?" He couldn't help himself, so he kissed her jaw just under her ear, and she quivered again. He raised his head to smile at her reaction. She threw back her head and laughed even louder; it made a wonderful sound.

"A fairy? A telepath? Hmm. Mr. Northman, I think you are one weird dude. I am neither of those things. What I am is a doctor. I have to get up to help these people. Will you help me?" she asked. Her head moved to the side and he followed with his. They could both see people moving around moaning in pain. Some people lay quietly in pools of blood. Part of the roof had caved in and covered almost half the ballroom. Screams and moans emanated from under the debris.

Eric moved and arose. His vamps were getting up too. "Help get those people out from under that roof." he ordered them. "Don't drink any blood from these people. Make sure you don't do anything to disgrace me or our kind."

He and his vamps moved toward the caved-in roof. The vamps easily moved pieces of the caved-in roof and pulled people out; their efforts probably saved a lot of human lives that night. For hours as he worked, Eric watched as the redhead move among the victims, doctoring them, helping them. She took charge; she was self-confident and clearly knew what she was doing. She seemed to be the only doctor there and was in control of the situation, ordering people here and there. He liked what he saw.

When she could, she watched the tall, blonde vamp as he worked with the other vampires. She smiled at him several times as he looked back. Every time she smiled, he felt his heart catch in his throat; her smile was contagious and he smiled back.

_He looks like a silly fool_. Pam thought as she worked along side her maker.

The sound of sirens screamed through the night as ambulance after ambulance pulled up to the hotel and sped off carrying the injured to various emergency rooms through out the city. A few dead bodies were lifted and put to the side. When the last injured victim was treated, the red head came over to him; she held out her hand to shake his and thanked him for his help. Vampires don't like to be touched, but apparently this woman didn't know that. He could tell by her scent that she had never been with a vampire before. He shook her hand and told her she was most welcome.

She started to move away. He didn't want her to go, not just yet. "Why don't you come to my bar, Fangs II, tomorrow night? I would like to see you again." Once more his voice was sultry, seductive and alluring.

The redhead only shook her head. "No. I don't think I would like that place very much, but why don't you ask me out, instead? I'll go out with you if you ask me." She smiled up at him again. Her smile blinded him.

"Ask you out? You mean like on a date? But I don't date, ever." Eric was dumbfounded at the thought. He was the Vampire King of Louisiana, and he didn't date. Another thought occurred to him at the same time: this woman was refusing him. He felt a hole opening up in his stomach. With the sudden clarity of a lightening strike, it hit him: the redhead was interested in him, Eric Northman, the man, not Eric Northman, the vampire, or Eric Northman, the Vampire King of Louisiana, but Eric Northman, the man. What a truly heady thought that was.

"Your loss then." the red head simply shrugged and started to walk away, but he touched her on the arm, and she turned around to face him. "Wait! Okay. Tell me your name, first, so I know who am asking for a date." he said.

She just laughed at him. "If you are really interested, Mr. Northman, you'll take the time to find out for yourself." She got into the last ambulance, but the back door was still open.

He felt a funny quiver go through him. He felt butterflies in his stomach again. He hadn't had these feelings in more than a thousand years, and he was amazed. He felt giddy like a young human male getting ready to court a woman; he felt very strange, indeed.

Pam came up beside him. She had observed him under the table with the redhead and afterward. "Oh, Eric. Why don't you just glamour her, fuck her and get it over with." she said in a bored voice.

He remembered Sookie's words as she danced with him on her wedding night. "You may not believe it Eric, but you will find a human woman that you will love, and you will be happy. Just one thing; if she's meant to be with you, you won't have to glamour her or trick her into taking your blood. Let her come to you on her own. It will be worth it, you'll see."

"Not this one, Pam. I don't want to glamour her. I want more than that this time. I want her to come to me on her own." Eric saod tp his child. He looked a little puzzled as the words came out of his mouth.

Pam was shocked to hear that. "Oh, no! Here we go again!" she said, but she was happy for her maker. Eric looked happy and more alive than he had in a long, long time. More than that, he looked like he had hope. The two vampires flew off into the night.

When he reached his palace, Eric called Daniel Brady, the handsome male vampire who was in charge of palace security, to his office. He was introduced to Daniel a short time after his coronation, and he liked him from the befinning. With Daniel, what you saw is what you got; in that respect, he was unlike most vampires, Eric had ever known. Daniel soon became his trusted second in command and was one of the vamps who accompanied him to the charity function tonight.

Daniel had only been a vampire for ten years. Before he was turned at the age of thirty two, he had been in the FBI and also served as a respected homicide detective for the NYPD for five years. He was the most accomplished investigator that Eric had ever met. Daniel still had a lot of contacts in law enforcement, including the FBI. He could find anything or track down anybody. Eric had a mission for his underling.

"Find out who that woman is." he ordered. "I want to know everything there is to know about her by the end of this week."


	5. Chapter 5

Dark Desire – Chapter 5

Wakefield Cove, three years earlier

John Dumont sat in the pilot's seat in the cockpit of his Cessna Citation CJ4. He and his wife,Helen, were in the air, traveling back from Palm Springs to Wakefield Cove. On Saturday night, they had just celebrated their thirty second wedding anniversary with ten of their closest friends at one of the most exclusive restaurants in town.

The two had flown out in his private jet on Friday and spent the week end at their mansion in Palm Springs. It had been a great weekend; Helen was happier than she had been in years. He paid a lot of attention to her; he tried to make it one the most romantic weekends of their marriage. Right now, Helen was dozing on the sofa in the cabin; he could hear soft classical music playing on the sound system.

Despite his perverted proclivities, his many adulterous affairs and his vicious temper, John Dumont loved his wife. He loved his daughter, Katy. He had lived a life full of lies, deceit and depravity for so long that sometimes he didn't know what was true and what wasn't, but he never doubted his love for his family. He hated his life and the monster that he had become.

Three terrible months had passed since his daughter had been beaten so badly by her husband. Oh, yes, he knew Richard's story had been a lie from the beginning, but he dared not say so in public. Shortly after Katy had been admitted to the hospital, Richard came to his office with his father. He punched Richard in the face and nearly knocked him down. He threatened to go to the police.

"She's never going back to you, Richard! I won't let her! If you ever touch my daughter again, I'll kill you!" he hissed angrily at the younger man.

"Calm down, John. You're not going to the police, and you're not going to kill anybody, especially my son! What you are going to do is get those pictures from her and return them to my son." James Wakefield calmly told him. Richard had contacted him immediately after Katy left in the ambulance to go to the hospital.

The pictures of their last "vacation" were supposed to be delivered to Richard's office as usual. Somehow they had ended up in Katy's office instead. In a detached and almost clinical manner, James Wakefield made it perfectly clear what would happen if John went to the police. He also made it perfectly clear what would happen if Katy told anyone about the pictures. What he said was terrifying.

"We are not the only ones involved in this, and you know that. Powerful people will be ruined. These men will do anything, and I do mean anything, to stop this story from ever getting out. Katy and Helen could be killed, and so could you. These men may very well may try to kill us all if they ever find out she has the pictures. I don't care what happens to you, John, but I won't let Katy ruin my life or my son's life, either. You got us into this mess; now you have to get those pictures back! You must keep Katy quiet; do I make myself perfectly clear?" James threatened softly as he shook a large finger in John's face; his own face was mottled with fury and anxiety.

Richard stood a few feet away; he was angry too, but he looked a little shell shocked at what he had done to Katy earlier. He didn't say anything, but he nodded his head vigorously. Both men were deadly serious, and John knew it. He looked at them both and the reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He was a monster; he had brought this on himself with his depraved lusts, and he had gotten James, and then Richard, involved in it too. Now Helen and Katy were in danger. Shame, horror and fear for his family's safety consumed him. He nodded meekly in agreement. Together, the three men came up with the story that would ruin his daughter's reputation, but keep their own reputations intact.

John lived for three months after his daughters beating obsessed by shame and the fear of discovery. He absolutlely loathed himself. To make matters worse, he received almost daily threats from the man he had once thought of as his best friend. Wakefield kept pestering him to find out if he had gotten the pictures back. Katy kept denying that she saw any other pictures. She claimed she saw only the ones she threw at Richard, but he knew she was not telling the truth.

The threats on his life and the lives of his wife and daughter left him unnerved and afraid, but he was a coward, so he kept his mouth shut. His personal life and his job at the hospital suffered greatly. Katy almost completely refused to talk to him, and Helen didn't understand why. He began drinking heavily along with his wife.

Finally, he could not take it anymore; he was going to do something about it. At ten o'clock on a clear Sunday night, without a cloud in the sky, the experienced pilot, John Dumont, crashed his jet into a mountainside in northern California, killing himself and his wife, Helen Dumont. At the age of twenty eight, Katy Wakefield, who was at home in Wakefield Cove at the time, was now almost totally alone, except for her mother's sister, Mathilda Rothschild.

The next few days passed in a haze. The evening after the funeral, it seemed that most of Wakefield Cove had gathered at her parents house. Katy kept away from most of the people; they had made her life a living hell for the last three months. Her Aunt Matilda flew in from Philadelphia and acted as hostess to the large crowd that had gathered in the Dumont home. She excused Katy's absence by telling everyone that her niece was too overcome with grief to receive visitors.

The truth was, Katy spent most of the afternoon and evening in the large gazebo at the end of a Japanese garden her father had built in their large back yard. She had a bottle of scotch with her, and she was drunk. All day, she had been plagued with memories of the last three months. No matter what she did, she couldn't turn her mind off, and it was killing her. She blamed herself for the accident that claimed her parent's life. She blamed herself for confronting Richard and her father about the pictures. She knew her father had lived in torment since his secret life had been discovered. She just knew he had killed himself and her mother.

She thought endlessly about the the indcdent that so totally changed her life. She thought about its aftermath. The day after she woke up in the hospital, Sheriff Brown came to see her. Her father was in the room examining her again. Katy could barely stand to look him. She remembered the pictures she had so carefully hidden in the cave. Her father was careful not to meet her eyes.

"I want Richard arrested!" she told Sheriff Brown and her father. Her lower jaw was closely wired, but she managed to get the story out. Haltingly, and in pain, she told them both how she had found Richard and Tracy Coleman in bed together and how Richard beat her. Of course, she omitted any reference to the pornographic pictures and the DVD. Both men looked at her incredulously.

Sheriff Brown refused to take her complaint seriously. He confronted her with the story that Richard, Tracy and Dan Tolbert had told him. By this time their story was so embellished that Katy came out looking like the town whore. Sheriff Brown believed every word Richard told him.

"Stop lying, Katy!" her father told her. "Richard Wakefield is the son of my best friend. We all know him. He's never been in trouble, but you have. I know both Richard well enough to know he just couldn't do what you claim. I know he could not do something like that!"

"What are you afraid of, Dad? Are you afraid James Wakefield will stop donating to the hospital and you will lose your job if the truth comes out!" She spoke slowly, but hotly. The words came out before she could stop them, but what she really wanted to say was, "Are you afraid that everyone in this town will know what a pervert you are? Are you afraid that everyone in this town will know that the three of you sexual predators who target kids?"

From the look of shame on her father's face, Katy knew he was fully aware that she had seen the pictures. Richard apparently had wasted no time telling him. Her father was ashamed, but he was also furious. John Dumont raised his hand, but Sheriff Brown put his hand on his arm and stopped him from slapping her.

"Let it go, John." Sheriff Brown said in sympathy. "She's not worth it." Sheriff Brown was a good friend of her father, and he definitely did not like Katy. He thought she was wild. He had arrested her once for driving under the influence just days after she graduated from high school, and he had broken up more than one high school party she attended where underage kids were drinking.

Katy had also gotten into some minor trouble for smoking pot while in college. Her parents never knew about that, but Sheriff Brown did. Katy was a troublemaker as far as he was concerned. According to Sheriff Brown and many others in Wakefield Cove, Katy Dumont was an embarrassment to her family, especially her father, John. What he didn't know is that Katy had stopped drinking the summer she graduated from high school; she was afraid she was becoming like her mother who had a serious alcohol problem. She never smoked pot again either.

Her father walked out of the room, and Katy didn't see him again for days. She was hurt and angry because he had defended Richard so vigorously. If her own father didn't believe her, how could she convince anyone else that she was telling the truth? It seemed that no one, except her mother and two of her best girlfriends believed a word she was saying. She had been beaten to a pulp, but she had absolutely no proof that it was Richard who was responsible.

Almost two weeks later, Katy confronted her father one night. He had come into her room and stood there for a few minutes looking at her. He thought she was sleeping. As he turned to walk out, Katy spoke.

"I know about you, Dad. I've seen the pictures. I've seen the DVD. You know Richard is lying, don't you? You are sick! You need help! All three of you need help. You are all perverts!" It was still hard to talk although the wires had been removed. Her voice began to rise as fury filled her.

John Dumont just hung his head in shame. "I know, Katy. I know." he whispered and walked out of the room.

Two days after he beat his wife, Richard had filed for an annulment. He claimed that there was an impediment to the marriage as Katy had no intention of being a faithful wife. He had sworn statements from Dan Tolbert and several other men who claimed they had ongoing sexual liaisons with Katy even after her marriage. None of it was true, but James Wakefield was a close friend of the judge and the annulment was granted within weeks before Katy had even recovered from her injuries.

There would not be any kind of a settlement, but Katy didn't care. They had both signed prenuptial agreements, and she didn't expect anything anyway. Through his attorney, Richard informed her that all of her personal belongings, including her jewelry, had been moved to her parent's house. Katy was glad; she never wanted to set foot in that house again.

Two weeks after entering the hospital, Katy was discharged. She had a cast on her left leg and had to use crutches, but she was able to get around.

She didn't want to move back home, but her mother insisted, so Katy spent the next few months living in the guest house on the estate. She refused to live in the same house as her father, but she wouldn't tell her mother why. She just said the one story guest house was easier for her to move around in with the cast on her leg.

Katy had suffered a compound fracture of the fibula and two broken ribs. A metal pin had to be inserted into the bone in her leg to help it heal. Her jaw had felt like it was broken, but it wasn't, it was just lightly fractured. She had lost two teeth and had replacements put in as soon as she could. She was going to be on paid sick leave for another eight weeks. Once the cast was off, she would need physical therapy almost everyday for months. Katy knew she would be all right, she had insurance, her sick leave pay and a small inheritance from her maternal grandmother who had died a few years before.

When the cast came off, Katy saw the ugly red scar on her leg where the bone had protruded. Dr. Eleanor Clausen told her that later she could consider plastic surgery to remove much of the scar, but it would never be entirely gone. Even after the break was completely healed, she knew may end up with slight limp when unshod. As a doctor, katy knew the leg would give her problems in the future, especially when she was tired and cold.

Katy didn't contest the annulment, and it went through quickly. She just wanted everything over with. After she returned home, Katy noticed that many of the townspeople, including some of her friends, shunned her and gossiped about her behind her back. When she went to physical therapy, or to a store, or a restaurant, people she had known all her life turned their backs to her or made nasty comments. Not all of them, but quite a few.

They seemed to believed Richard's story that she had been caught cheating with Dan Tolbert. Tracy Coleman spent a lot of time spreading the vicious gossip too. The small town that she had loved all her life just didn't seem like home anymore. Before too long, Katy decided to move as soon as her physical therapy was completed.

Before the the annulment was granted, Richard moved into Tracy Coleman's apartment. The two planned a big wedding for later in the year. This time he had his father's blessing on his new wife. They were not planning to live in the house that Richard and Katy shared. Tracy had found them another large house close to his father's estate. Perhaps there were too many ugly memories in Richard's old house to suit the new bride.

Richard paid his own price. Although outwardly people said they believed his story, Richard had been known to have a violent streak. He had been arrested for beating up several hookers when he was in college. This was something that Katy never knew about because his father paid to get him off. the stories leaked out anyway.

Richard lost his promotion and his reputation took a hit. Too many people knew how badly Katy had been hurt. Too many people had seen Richard and Tracy Coleman together many times. There was just enough doubt that many people just didn't trust the handsome, young scion of James Wakefield.

Richard was furious. He blamed Katy for everything. He knew she had tried to press charges. Even though she was unsuccessful, the charges were leaked out, and it left an impression with many people. In his mind, Katy was responsible for the loss of his reputation. Something inside Richard snapped. He was determined to make Katy pay.

Richard suffered another blow: before Katy's parents died, Tracy Coleman left Wakefield Cove for good. She told Richard she only wanted to visit her family in San Francisco for a week. She never came back. Apparently, the town gossip was getting to her. Katy was alone.

But Katy was the one who suffered the most, and now her parents were dead. The accident investigators ruled pilot error, but Katy's father was an excellent pilot. She doubted the results of the accident investigation; but there was no way to prove they were wrong.

A little more than a week before the plane crash, Katy had overheard James Wakefield and her father arguing about her one day as she sat outside in the gazebo. She heard her father-in-law threaten all of them if he didn't get the rest of the pictures from her. The two men were outside in the garden just a few feet from the gazebo. The gazebo was old and covered with ivy, neither men knew she was there.

After James Wakefield left, Katy picked up her crutch and walked out of the gazebo door. "You heard everything, I suppose?" Her father said; his voice was desperate.

"Why do you let him get away with that, father? Why don't you turn yourself and those two in to the police?" She asked him.

"I can't do that, Katy. There are people involved who will kill all of us if we go to the police." John Dumont replied.

"Do you think he has told anyone else that I saw the pictures?" She asked. She could tell by her father's tone that he was serious. That made her afraid for the first time since the incident.

"I doubt it. He has too much to lose." Her father said. It was true, James Wakefield was one of the wealthiest and most prominent attorneys in northern California. He specialized in divorce cases and adoptions. A scandal would ruin his life and his reputation. He was a proud, arrogant man; he could never stand for that.

"I don't understand any of this. Why, Dad? How could you do those things?" Katy asked. Her voice echoed her revulsion.

Her father hung his head. He whispered in a low voice. "I am what I am. I can't control it, Katy. I tried to, but I never could. I went to therapy for years. I even even took medication for a while, but it made me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking it. I disgust myself. I know that I am a monster. It kills me to know what a perverted bastard I am. I can't control the urge to have sex with young girls. I just can't! James has known about me since college; he has held it over my head ever since. He's made me do things for him over the years that I just can't talk about. The strange thing is, he has the same addition, only in a different way. He generally likes young boys, and he likes to hurt them."

"And Richard?" she asked.

"He's even worse than his father. I didn't want you to marry him, but James and Richard gave me no choice. They said they would expose me, if I tried to interfere. I am glad that you are away from him, but I am just so sorry you had to suffer the way you did."

"Dad, when I was growing up, did you ever bother any of my friends?" She asked. Her father had never bothered her, but she wondered about her girlfriends since she saw the pictures.

"God, no, Katy! Never your friends! I know I am a sick pervert, but I kept that part of my life as far away from Wakefield Cove as I could! I did it in other cities, but never here. That's why we went to Bangkok and other places that cater to men with our "special" appetites. It is so easy to arrange these things today; you wouldn't believe it. I never wanted anyone here to know what I am. Not even your mother knows; she just thinks I cheat on her a lot."

"But you do, Dad. You do cheat, and you beat her." she responded harshly.

"The other women are just a diversion. If people think I am a womanizer, they will never believe what I really am. I haven't touched your mother in thirteen years. I started therapy again after you confronted me, and at least I can control my temper now, even if I can't control my sickness. I know you won't believe me, but I do love your mother, and I do love you." He walked back toward the house with his head down.

Katy didn't what to think as she limped back to the guest house. Two days after parents death, a large package addressed to her was delivered to the house. Inside the package she found a cache of more pornographic pictures and tapes and several journals that chronicled John Dumont's devolution from a normal human male to a perverted child molester.

The journals were sickening; they included details of trips that he had taken with other men, including James and Richard Wakefield, to satisfy their unnatural sexual appetites.. The sex trips were arranged specifically for this purpose and were made mostly to Thailand, but they included Haiti and several Latin American countries, as well. Much of the journals described her father's disgust and hatred of himself and his perversions, but they also described his utter sense of helplessness. He wrote often of his extreme fear that he would be caught.

The journals contained the names of other men who did the same thing. James Wakefield, her father and Richard were apparently part of a nationwide organization that believed that sex with children was natural and normal. These men exchanged photographs and tapes of their escapades. The journals spanned a period of almost twenty years. They also contained the names of the travel agents who arranged the sex vacations.

She found another journal containing names, dates, pictures and photocopies of adoption papers and medical records of at least twenty young foreign children whose adoption to American parents had been arranged by James Wakefield. Her father had examined all of the children free of charge when they came to this country. All of the names of the adoptive fathers matched names in the other journals. James Wakefield had been procuring young children for these men for sex and covering up that activity by arranging fake adoptions.

At the bottom of the box was a short note from her father, it read. "Katy, if anything happens to me or your mother, take this evidence to the FBI. It may be the only thing that keeps you safe." signed only, "Your loving father." Katy managed to walk out to her secret cave and place the box inside with the other envelope. She didn't want the world to know about her father.

After her parent's death, she moved back into the big house while she decided what to do with her life. For a month, she continued physical therapy and was able to walk without crutches. She she started back to work at the hospital, but she hated it.

Richard and James Wakefield began to harass her at the office and at home. One night, she got home to find the house had been broken into. Her father's study and her parent's bedroom had been turned upside down. Much of the furniture was smashed, and some expensive paintings and artwork were destroyed. She knew they were looking for the pictures.

She called Sheriff Brown, and let him know that she thought Richard and James Wakefield were responsible for the break-in, but again she didn't tell him why. Sheriff Brown made it clear that he thought she was crazy and just out for revenge on her ex-husband. He made a perfunctory investigation, but no suspects were ever found.

Days after the break in, Katy contacted her father's attorney and had the house put on the market. She moved to Los Angeles and got a job at a small hospital in the city. She wasn't in hiding; she left her address and phone number with her attorney. He needed her address and phone number to contact her after her parent's estates were probated.

In Los Angeles, Katy began to use her maiden name again. She wanted nothing to do with the Wakefields or Wakefield Cove. Slowly she bean to start putting her life back together. She began to make friends and started to date a co-worker she liked a lot.

Six months after he beat her the first time, Richard waited for her outside of her apartment in Los Angeles. Katy and the man, Damon Salmonese, had just come home from their second date and were entering the apartment building where she lived. Richard jumped Damon and hit him with a crowbar; he fell to the sidewalk unconscious.

Richard proceeded to beat Katy again. The cops arrived before he could do too much damage. Damon visited her in the hospital the next day before she was released. He told he didn't want to be involved with someone who had a violent ex. Katy pressed charges and tried to get a restraining order, but the judge in the case was a friend and political ally of James Wakefield. The Wakefields were well known in California, and Richard got off again.

It was after Richard was turned loose that Katy contacted the FBI in Los Angeles. They were astonished when the tall, well dressed blonde walked into their office and told them her story. They had been investigating the sex ring and the phony adoption scam that James Wakefield ran for years, but they could not build a case against him.

After several interviews at FBI headquarters, Katy took four agents back to Wakefield Cove and to her secret cave. She gave them the box of evidence including the first set of pictures and the DVD that was hidden so carefully in her childhood playground. The agents were pleased with what they found.

The FBI agents she met with asked her if she would be willing to testify against the Wakefields. It was dangerous they said. Other powerful men, including a well known underworld figure were involved. Katy agreed, and was placed in the Witness Protection Program. She cut and died her hair and was given a new identity. She was moved to Miami, Florida where she worked under her assumed name. She waited and waited for the trial. Nothing happened.

She read the California papers on line. They were full of the news about her father, James Wakefield and Richard Wakefield. Not too long afterward, the scandal hit the headlines and swept the country. Pictures of her ex and his father dodging reporters filled the news. Other prominent men doing the same thing became common place. Katy didn't feel sorry for them one bit.

She was working in a small hospital in South Miami-Dade County. She stayed out of the limelight. She made a few good friends, but she didn't date. Television and talk radio programs discussed the scandal at length, including her parents death in an airplane crash.

When pictures of her, her father and mother popped up in the news, no one recognized her. She had lost fifteen pounds, her face was much thinner and she had short, curly, red hair. She dressed mostly in t-shirts and blue jeans and other inexpensive clothing. She wore very little jewelry. She didn't look anything at all like the beautiful, sophisticated, rich, young woman dressed in designer clothing, whose long, honey blonde hair cascaded down her back.

She felt safe.

She was wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

Dark Desire – Chapter 6

New Orleans, present day

"Where is she! Are you all incompetent? How can you not find one damn human woman?" Eric Northman towered over Daniel Brady, his Second in Command, and roared at the top of his lungs. His voice was so loud the walls of his office reverberated with its force. He turned and swung his fist so hard, he punched a hole in the wall; he didn't feel a flicker of pain.

It was about 1:30am on a Saturday morning. The Vampire King of Louisiana was on a rampage. He had been on one for five nights now. He had most of his security team standing outside his office door. They were all vampires, and it was a good thing: if they had been human, they all would have been sweating bullets by now.

It had been seven nights since the charity function; seven long, agonizing nights since he held the redhead in his arms. She was gone; it was if she had never existed. At times, he tried to tell himself that it was only an illusion, he never met the strange human woman who bewitched him so. Even if he did, she wasn't so much, was she? Certainly not enough to get all worked up about. For a few seconds, he could actually make himself believe that, but then her face appeared strong in his memory. He knew it was no illusion. Everything that happened that night was real.

During the the first two nights, when his human and vamp underlings could not find any trace of her, he was merely annoyed. By the third night, he became furious. His fury was constant, and he took it out on the poor souls who had the misfortune of being anywhere near him.

Somewhere along the line the redhead went from the mysterious stranger he wanted to touch, to kiss, to caress, to be inside of, to fuck so hard, so deep and so long she would scream from wanting him, only him... to "that damn human woman!" For days, his subordinates looked at him as if he had gone stark raving mad. For days they tried to stay out of his way, but without success. Eric Northman was out of control; he knew it, and so did his people.

At first, finding her was merely desire, but as each night passed, desire for her became an obsession, growing stronger and stronger. Now finding her was a driving, pulsing need, almost like a living thing inside him. He ached for her. He was like a starving man who's hunger could only be satisfied with one thing: that damn human woman!

He didn't understand these feelings. He didn't want them. He cursed her for them! She was a witch, he thought. No, she was much worse than that. She was a devil sent from the bowels of hell to torture him! He must have pissed the gods off royally to deserve this torment!

He woke up at dusk dreaming about her. He went to bed at sunrise thinking about her. She consumed his thoughts all night, so much so, he couldn't get any work done. Her scent and the taste of her blood was indelibly imprinted on his brain. She smelled of orange blossoms, honey and heady spice. And by all the gods, her blood tasted, so good; if it was possible, her blood tasted even better than her smell.

He got hard as he remembered the feel of her soft, satiny skin and her small rosy nipple as it pebbled in his hand. He got harder yet as he remembered the taste of her mouth and feel of her silken thighs. He almost came in his pants when he remembered how instinctively and naturally she responded to him. Her touch was like no other.

He remembered her unusual gray eyes, flecked with lavender. He remembered the sound of her soft husky voice, and the way her eyes crinkled up in amusement as she laughed. He wanted to see those eyes again. He wanted to hear the sound of her voice and her laughter again.

He wanted her more than he ever wanted anything in his thousand years of undead life. The few minutes he had spent with her was like a tiny taste of heaven, and he wanted more, much more. But she had disappeared, and he couldn't find her. Now all he could do was think of her, and he was going crazy. The memory of her drove out thoughts of anything or anyone else; he was losing his mind.

Daniel Brady was not cowed by his superior's bellowing. The good looking, brown haired male vampire was at least six inches and fifty pounds lighter than the blonde viking who was his king. He was a hell of a lot younger and weaker, but he was not in the least bit afraid. Someone had to tell his boss to stop acting like an asshole. He was just the vamp to do it.

"Calm down, Boss! Losing control like this won't find her any faster. Just let us do our job and stop calling us in here every five minutes!" Brady challenged the King of Louisiana.

"She doesn't have practicing privileges in any hospital in New Orleans or the surrounding area. We have taken her picture to every hospital and every medical facility in and around the city. Only one ER in South New Orleans even recognized her. She came in with a patient and worked alongside them for hours that night. She told them her name, but no one seems to remember it. No one has ever seen her before or since." Daniel continued.

Eric sat down at his desk and with a frustrated sweep of his large hand; he knocked everything that was on top of his desk onto the floor. Everything went flying, including several photographs taken the night of the charity function and an expensive crystal paper weight he had for almost fifty years. The paperweight was a gift from Pam; it shattered into smithereens. The sound of breaking glass caught Eric up short and calmed him somehow.

"I've been acting like an idiot, haven't I?" he said quietly after a moment. Daniel nodded.

A familiar female voice said, "Sounds like you have been acting like a real asshole as usual, Eric." The voice was brimming with laughter; it belonged to Sookie Compton. She had a grin on her face.

Sookie, Bill and Judith Vardamon walked into his office. He had been expecting Bill and Judith, but not Sookie. He had asked them to come to New Orleans for their monthly meeting. He didn't want to leave the city before he found the redhead. Judith was due for one of her visits. He knew Bill wouldn't refuse his request; afterall, Bill had pledged fealty to him just a few short months ago.

Eric jumped up, walked over to Sookie and kissed her hand. "I didn't expect to see you, my l..." He started to say, "My lover," but she wasn't his lover, not anymore. She was Mrs. William Thomas Compton, now. Somehow that thought that Sookie was married to Bill didn't bother him anymore.

Sookie was as happy with Bill, much happier than she had ever been with him. It had not been easy, but he had learned to accept it and actually be happy for her. Perhaps Judith was right when she said Bill and Sookie were soul mates. He wondered if he would ever find a soul mate.

"It's good to see you anyway," he said. It was true that he wasn't in love with Sookie anymore, but he cared about her, and he always would. He liked the fact that she had come to visit him. He always liked seeing her; she cared about him too, and that knowledge made him feel better somehow. It made him feel worth loving.

With his excellent peripheral vision, Eric could see the muscles in Bill's jaw tighten and his fists clench. Judith artfully grabbed Bill's arm and gave a little pinch. Bill relaxed a little, but he definitely didn't like it whenever Eric touched Sookie. _That is his problem, not mine._ Eric thought and kissed Sookie on the cheek.

"I decided to spend a week with Amelia. We're going to do some shopping and just catch up on some girl talk. Bill has business in the area, so we came down last night." Sookie explained.

"Why are you terrorizing your staff, Northman?" Judith asked him curiously. She was looking hard at a photograph that she had picked up from the floor. It was a picture of the the eight humans who had been sitting at the table in front of Eric and his vamps at the charity dinner dance. One of the women in the picture was the redhead Eric had been searching for all week.

Daniel had gotten a photograph of all twenty tables and a roster of the pre-registered guests from the charity's fundraiser. He had to glamour the fool to get it. The woman's name didn't show up anywhere. The fundraiser told him that she was probably a guest of one of the attendees, or perhaps just showed up at last minute. In the case of same day arrivals, their practice was to just take the admittance fee and find the person an empty chair. It was a rather small event, and in any case, no one had been able to place her.

"Say, I think I know this woman," Judith said. All eyes in the room turned toward her. A huge sense of relief flooded through Eric.

Daniel started toward Judith."Which woman?" he asked as he rounded Eric's desk moving toward the small vamp. "There were at least four women at that table."

"The one with the short red hair. She used to be a brunette I think. Her hair was a little longer, down to her shoulders, but it's her all right."

Eric snatched the picture from her hand. "How do you know her? What's her name? Where does she live? " he asked sharply.

Judith looked startled at the vehemence of his questions. She thought for a minute. "She worked for Doc at his lab in Little Rock for a while. Yes, she was there for three months. She left right after Christmas two years ago; some family problem came up, or something. I don't quite remember. It was a few months before Doc died. We had a Christmas party early in December. She sat at the table with Doc and me and a few others. We had pictures taken; we always do. I have the picture of our table up on my wall. Don't you remember it, Eric?"

Eric wanted to hug Judith, "No. I don't. Tell me what her name is, Judith. I need to know."

"Wait a minute." Judith's brow furled. "I only spoke to her for a few minutes. Oh, yes. Doc introduced her as Emily Canton. She was a doctor he hired for the facility. He always kept a doctor and a nurse on staff for the employees."

"What happened to her?" the viking persisted.

"A couple of days after Christmas, Doc said she called in and said her mother died in Boston. You know, I thought at the time there was something strange about that. She told me the night of the party that both of her parents were dead, and that she was from Arizona. Anyway, she never came back to work; she emailed her resignation in a couple of days after she left."

Bill took the picture from Eric. He examined it carefully; he had a strange look on his face. "She goes by the name of Dr. Katy Jones now." he said.

"How do you know that, Bill?" Eric asked as he came over and stood in front of Bill, waiting for the answer. If he had been human, he would have been holding his breath.

Most humans or vamps would have stepped back a little, but Bill was not fazed by Eric at all. He held his ground; Bill did not fear the big, blonde vampire king.

"I saw her not less than two hours ago. She practices at the Gonzales Clinic off of Highway 23 in Oakville. Jose and Ileana Gonzales are clients of the detective agency. They were one of our first customers, and we've done a few security jobs for them, investigating new employees and such. The clinic is open all night, but I don't know if she is still there." Bill replied.

Oakville was a small town about 15 or so miles south of New Orleans on the Belle Chasse Highway. It was about a half an hour away by car. Eric flew off like a shot. Daniel Brady was right after him. The four vamps outside took off too.

"What was that all about?" Bill asked. His question was directed at no one in particular. The three of them were alone in Eric's office now. He was intrigued by the viking's reaction, but he didn't think the woman in question was in any danger. He could read the vibes; Eric wanted her, but he wouldn't force himself on her.

Sookie and Judith looked at each other and smiled. "Eric's in love, Bill." Sookie said. "Apparently, he's fallen in love with a human woman. You know what is so funny is that he doesn't want to love her, but he does. She's disappeared, and he can't find her. Life is not so easy for the poor guy. This is just too, too rich." She started laughing until tears fell down her face.

_Hmmmpf._ Poor guy, my ass. Bill thought.

Sookie had heard her former lover's thoughts loud and clear. Hell, she had seen a vision of Eric with the redheaded woman several times before. An unintended consequence of Eric's sire, Appius' attempts to destroy her gift gave her the ability to read vampire minds. Another unintended consequence had given her the ability to occasionally see the future. Appius was dead now, killed by Nyall Brigant. Sookie gave thanks everyday for that.

Since the night Eric attended her and Bill's wedding, she had seen visions of Eric and the redhead together on several occasions; usually when Eric visited them in Bon Ton. Sookie knew he was going to love that woman to distraction. The woman didn't know it yet, but she would love Eric just as much. She was going to be a handful for the vampire king. She wasn't a just a weak human female, she wasn't going to be a pushover, and she wasn't going to make his life easy. She would be a challenge for her former lover. For some reason, that just tickled the hell out of Sookie. She just knew whatever the woman's name was, they were going to be real good friends. She never told Eric any of this; she and Bill did not want him to know that her gift had returned.

Judith looked at Sookie again and laughed just as hard. "Yes, he sure is in love, and he's got it bad. Serves the horny asshole right, too. You know he actually made a pass at me when I was here last. Can you imagine that?" she said.

She had felt Eric's emotions tonight too. The thought of Eric in love with the human doctor was funny because the viking was so sure that humans were inferior. He was also sure that he would never love again after Sookie. Judith felt more than humor, she felt relief. She knew that loving the redhead meant the viking would leave Bill and Sookie alone, and that was all she really cared about.

Now, Bill looked at Sookie and Judith as if they had gone crazy. "She's human, Bill. That asshole loves a human!" Judith gasped, then it sank in. Bill knew exactly what Eric thought about humans. Eric would be totally flabbergasted by the thought that he could actually love a human woman. Sookie was part fairy, so in a way, she didn't count. Bill laughed too. _God is playing a big cosmic joke on Eric Northman. Maybe it will make the bastard a little more humble. _I_t does serve him right_, he thought.

Five minuted later, Eric Northman landed outside the Gonzalez Clinic. He didn't need an address, once he knew the general location, he honed in on the woman's scent without any problem. It led him right to her.

Katy was standing in the parking lot near an old Honda Civic arguing with the man who sat down next to her at the charity dinner dance.

"Ralph, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not interested. I don't want to go out with you tonight, or ever. Just leave me alone." Katy's was furious. Ralph Thompson had come into the clinic an hour earlier and was making a nuisance of himself. He was a pig. She had gone out with him once and that had been a big mistake; one that she wasn't about to repeat.

"I guess you prefer dead men to live ones, huh? I saw you and that blonde vamp. You practically had sex with him right there on the floor." The man snarled at the redhead.

Katy slapped his face hard. Ralph was angry; he didn't like being turned down, and he didn't like being slapped by a woman. A red haze of fury bloomed in front of his eyes. He was going to teach this bitch a lesson she'd never forget. He drew his fist back. Katy flinched; her eyes widened in fear and she backed up against the car. Eric saw the look of panic in her eyes and it made him feel both sick and furious.

Before he could move, Ralph Thompson found himself on the ground rubbing his own broken jaw. The tall blonde vampire he had just spoken about was standing over him with his fangs fully extended and both fists clenched. Suddenly, Ralph was jerked up by his shirt front until his face was only inches away from the vampire's long scary fangs. His legs were flailing helplessly off the ground. Primal fear made the human male wet his pants and loosened his bowels.

Eric shook him back and forth like a rag doll then dropped him. "If you ever come near my woman again, I'll kill you!" A guttural snarl accompanied the threat. Ralph Thompson couldn't stop himself from shaking, but he managed to get up and stagger to his car. He didn't even turn his lights on, he just gunned the motor and sped away, scraping against the curb as he did so.

A second later, the redhead was pressed up against Eric's chest so tightly if was as if she were trying to climb inside him. Her arms were wrapped around around him tight. She was crying and shaking like a leaf. A part of his mind acknowledged that her reaction to the threat from the human male was much stronger than normal, but he pushed that thought aside. He just liked the feel of this woman in his arms.

He lowered his head and inhaled deeply, once, twice, three times. "Ahhh!" he sighed. She smelled even better than he remembered. His arms tightened around her drawing her in closer. After a minute or so, Katy's body stopped trembling. He kept sniffing and smelling her.

For a week, Eric had been coiled as tightly as a drum, but as soon as he inhaled her unique scent, the tension left his body. All the anger and fury and confusion he had felt all week was gone; he felt at peace.

With a gentle hand, he turned her face up and licked the tears from her face; she tasted better than he remembered, too. Katy put her arms around his neck and kissed him as if she had done it all her life. Her kiss was as soft as a butterfly wing against his mouth. Then she opened her mouth, her tongue gently touched his lips, seeking entry. His mouth opened tentatively and let her inside. His fangs were extended, and her tongue ran over the tips cautiously.

Katy didn't know why she did it, but she instinctively turned her head to the side and offered her throat to him. To a vampire, that particular movement is so erotic and enticing. Eric groaned, he couldn't refuse her offer; it was so innocently made. He bit down into the pulsing artery and lapped. He drank deeply of her sweet heady blood. It tasted like orange blossoms, honey and spice. It was better than the sweetest ambrosia he had ever tasted.

He felt her blood infuse him with an emotion so strong that he felt weak from its power. She could feel him trembling as he held her. He was aroused and she could feel manhood as it lengthened and pulsed against her stomach. It was wonderful.

As Eric sucked lightly against the small wounds in her neck, Katy felt a stab of white heat rush from her throat to her groin. At the same time, her blood seem to rush toward his lips as if it had a mind of its own. It was if her blood was a living thing that wanted to be inside him. Everything inside her rippled and moved; she almost feinted with pleasure and collapsed against him.

Eric didn't want to stop drinking from her, but he lifted his fangs from her neck; he had to. She moaned, she didn't want him to stop, but he did. He sealed the wounds with his tongue and saliva.

"Ahhh," he sighed again as his tongue laved the spot where he bit her. The six foot six, huge blonde viking, the one thousand year old vampire, was lost in the storm of strange emotions that overwhelmed him. His knees turned to jelly. He had to lean back against her car for support.

He looked deep into Katy's eyes; he was almost afraid of what he would see there, but he was thrilled when she stared back at him wide eyed and unafraid. Her beautiful, unusual gray eyes were filled with wonder and awe. He could tell that she was overwhelmed with the same strange emotions. He knew whatever these feelings were, they were right.

He knew something else. Whatever her name was, it didn't matter. This woman was his human. She was his, and he never wanted to let her go.

A few feet away, Daniel Brady and four other vamps looked on in amusement.

"Finally, he's found what he's been looking for. Let's go." he said. The five vamps jumped into the air and flew off, leaving the two lovers behind them.


	7. Chapter 7

Dark Desire – Chapter 7

Twenty minutes before daybreak, Eric Northman stood over Katy Jones' bed and looked down at her. The bedroom was lit by the low light of her bedside lamp, but with his vampire eyesight, he didn't need the light to see the woman clearly. She was partially covered by a bed sheet. Her face was relaxed and peaceful. She seemed so innocent and without a care in the world. He leaned down and inhaled her sweet scent, only this time his own scent blended in with hers. He loved their combined bouquet. He nipped his finger and smeared blood up inside her swollen channel. She didn't wake or move a muscle. He had sexed her thoroughly tonight; she was sleeping deeply and her tender, sore flesh needed the curative relief his blood would give her.

The last few hours had been the most amazing of his life. At 2am he had embraced Katy in the parking lot outside of the Gonzales Clinic. He had just stopped Katy from being beaten up by an unwanted suitor. He intended to find out just who that cur was. Once he did, that man would never bother his woman again. Now, as he stood there, this woman felt forever a part of him, even though he had not formed a blood bond with her.

At first Katy cried in his arms, and then she kissed him. Her kiss was his undoing. "Where do you live?" he'd asked her. Within ten minutes they were standing on her porch. She lived about ten miles north of Oakville on a dirt road that paralleled the Belle Chasse Highway. She lived about 10 miles south of New Orleans.

Katy took out her key, opened the door and stepped inside. She expected Eric to follow her over the threshold. When he didn't, she turned around and looked at him curiously. He standing on the other side, holding the screen door open. "You have to invite me in, or I can't enter." He said.

"Please, come in Mr. Northman." she said.

When he stepped inside, he embraced her once more. "Oh, I think we are way beyond Mr. Northman now. Call me Eric. What do I call you, Katy or what?" He picked her up and headed for the open door of her bedroom. "I am Katy, Katy Jones, but I thought you knew that?" He didn't answer.

In the bedroom, she switched the bedside lamp on low and watched Eric as he undressed. He had undressed her just moments before; well, undress wasn't exactly the right description, her clothing was in shreds on the floor. He heard the intake of her breath as she saw him fully naked for the first time; he was the biggest man she had ever seen. His manhood towered between them.

As he moved to lay down beside her, unbidden, her fingertips caressed along his long, thick, velvety length. "Geez, that thing is so big, you should charge it rent." she whispered in awe. Richard wasn't a particularly big man, neither were any of the lovers she had before. She wondered if she would be able to accommodate the man before her now. She didn't want to disappoint him.

He laughed with her, "No rent, but he's very hungry tonight." Like most men he talked about his penis as if it were a separate entity. Some women thought it was an endearing trait of the male species; she didn't, at least not before tonight. "Well, we will just have to feed him then, won't we?" she said.

Suddenly, his hands and mouth were all over her, sucking, licking, kissing and caressing. Everywhere he touched or kissed, silvery frissons of pleasure exploded along her nerve endings like fireworks. _He's sex on a stick, focused only on giving me pleasure!_ She thought. Katy felt like someone had lit a fire in her as she returned caress for caress, kiss for kiss. He seemed to be enjoying what she was doing to him as much as she was. Soon, she blanked out every thought in her mind, except for Eric. She focused only on giving him pleasure.

Eric could feel her body pulse and come to life under his touch. He could tell she hadn't had sex in a long time, and he liked that idea. He too wondered if she would be able to take his full length; most human women couldn't. It was important to him that this woman could, so he took his time, stoking her fire slowly until she begged him to hurry.

He planned to wait and make her come many times before he entered her, but he just couldn't. He had dreamed of this moment so much during the past week that he was straining from the effort of holding back. When he could take no more, he pushed her legs apart and with one hand, guided himself to the entrance of her sex. He could tell from the sweet tang of her arousal that she was wet and hot and ready for him. He pushed in just a little and she jerked back in surprise as entirely new sensations enveloped her.

"Gods, you are so tight!" He groaned. He withdrew and pushed in a little deeper, but still he held back because he didn't want to hurt her. He didn't hurt her a bit; she loved every second of it. In an explosion of intense pleasure, she forgot the world around her; she forgot everything except what Eric was doing to her with his hands and his mouth and the long, hard, thick length of him that moved slowly, then faster and faster inside her.

A part of her thought it was selfish, but she could think only of the delightful sensations caused by the friction of his flesh against hers. She had no control over her body as it writhed and moved to his rhythm. She arched up against him each time he stroked downward until she came hot and fast; the contact between them was electric.

His arm went under one calf and lifted one of her legs close to him as he moved slightly and drove deeper hitting a new spot. He beat into her furiously until she screamed out his name and came again. Through it all, she could feel her own flesh surround him, grab him and draw him in deeper, deeper. She felt like she was was spiraling around and around, down and down a tunnel of pleasure and delight.

With each movement, he stretched her a little more making her ready for the whole of him. He could feel the silken folds of her inner walls pulse and throb around him as she orgasmed again. Each time her body quivered, she brought him closer to his own pinnacle, until he finally exploded inside her.

He never left her body and within minutes, they made love again and again. By the third time, his shaft was buried to the hilt; the head of his penis was pounding hard against the mouth of her womb. His movements were a blur as he lost control; she thought she would fly apart from the pleasure he gave her.

She certainly wasn't the most experienced lover that he'd ever had. He had sex with some of the most famous courtesans of Europe and with celebrated Hollywood actresses who knew every button to push. He had been with Middle Eastern and Asian women who had been trained from childhood how to please a man, but no woman, female, vampire or other supe, had ever made him feel this good. Every movement, every touch, every kiss, every sound she made thrilled and excited him on such a deep level, it was as if she was born to please him. It was if her body was made for him alone, and it was if his body was made for her too.

They made love for hours, and still he couldn't get enough of her. Finally she was so exhausted, she felt like she couldn't move a muscle. She was soaked with sweat and gasping for air. Her legs were rubbery, weak and quivering from exertion. The tender flesh inside the walls of her vagina was swollen and sore.

She told him she felt like a virgin bride on her wedding night. She told him she wanted to sit on a block of ice because she didn't think she would be able to sit down for days. He laughed hard at that. He could have went on for hours more, but he knew she was too tired. He wanted to give her one more orgasm, so he started to kiss down the stomach, but she stopped him.

"No. Let me." she said as she slowly moved down and took him in her mouth. She nipped and sucked and kissed and licked until he thought he would lose his mind. Within a minute after her tongue touched him, another orgasm rocketed through him inside her mouth; she didn't pull back. With one hand, he hauled her up and moved her underneath him. His tongue laved the inside of her mouth until she lost her breath. The taste of his own essence inside her mouth was so exciting and erotic; he came hard against her belly once more before he collapsed on her, shouting out her name and something in a language she didn't understand.

"Are you finally satisfied now, you greedy little pig." he finally whispered softly against her throat.

"Mmmmm, never; I want more!" she said tiredly, but she promptly fell asleep with his full weight on her.

Eric moved to the side and pulled her up against him; one of her hands softly touched his chest as her other arm automatically went around him. He could feel her breath, soft and hot against his chest; it tickled, but he liked it. He inhaled her scent, it was thoroughly blended with his own scent now, and that made her smell even more enticing to him.

The room reeked of their sex. He had touched, kissed, licked and sucked every inch of her body. She smelled so strongly of him, even if she showered every hour, on the hour, for a month, his scent would not be erased. He knew that he would not have to mark her neck to show that she was his human. Every vampire who met her, in fact, every supe of any kind, would know that this woman belonged to him. Even many human males with their puny olfactory senses would instinctively smell him on her. The thought all those other males would know she was his pleased him a lot.

Eric listened as her breath become more regular and deeper as she slipped into deeper states of sleep. He watched her for a while, listening to the soft sighs that escaped her "Eric!" she said twice. She was dreaming of him; he liked that too. Once more his body started to get aroused. Not wanting to wake her, he got out of bed and looked around.

Her bedroom was small, neat and clean. The windows had room darkening shades and drapes. That made sense because of her work schedule, she must sleep through most of the morning hours. An air-conditioner poked through the wall close to the ceiling on one wall. It worked well because the room was cool.

He left the bedroom. Walking naked, he turned on lights and started exploring every nook and cranny in the small home. The rest of the house was as neat and orderly as the bedroom. Her furniture wasn't expensive, but it was elegant; the walls were painted soft muted colors and the house had a homey look to it. By the time he was finished, he knew every inch of her house. He opened every closet door, opened every drawer and looked into every cabinet in the kitchen and bathroom. He wanted to know all he could about her. He was he was just curious about the woman he had made love to for hours.

In the bathroom, he opened every bottle of perfume, cosmetic jar, lotion, soap, shampoo, bath salts, body oil and lipstick case he could find and inhaled. They all smelled good, but not as good as her natural scent. In the medicine cabinet he found only some toothpaste, a woman's razor and shaving lotion, a bottle of Aleve and some Midol. He knew what Midol was from other human lovers. He saw no evidence of birth control.

Under the sink he found a box of medium tampons and some other feminine products that he wasn't too familiar with. He opened a tube of tampax and pulled it out; it was just cotton on a string. _How do women manage to walk around all day with that thing stuck up there? Surely, it must be uncomfortable._ He thought.

In the drawer in the bedside stand he found a few condoms, but the wrapping on them looked old. He knew she hadn't used them in a long time. _Well she won't need these anytime soon._ He said to himself as he put them back.

The closet in her bedroom was filled with well made but not particularly expensive clothing. He paused as he opened her dresser drawer and rubbed a pair of her silk panties against his face; it smelled of soap and fabric softener. He liked touching and looking at the feminine lingerie and bras he found in other drawers. Her outside clothes may be inexpensive, but she sure liked tantalizing, expensive underwear. He liked that too.

The second bedroom had an artist's easel, paints and some blank canvases. She didn't seem to be working on anything now. In the kitchen, he looked in her refrigerator and found two six packs of True Blood. One was O positive, the other AB negative. The only vampire he could smell in the house was him, so he knew she had bought them for him. The thought that she really had wanted to see him again, pleased him. He opened a bottle of the AB negative, heated it up in the microwave and downed it.

In the living room, he picked up and examined the few photographs he found. They didn't seem to be family pictures, only shots of clearly unrelated people at some kind of party and one clearly taken at her job. She had no photos of her childhood or parents; he found that curious. On a desk nest to the small flat TV screen TV, he found a chess set near her computer. The pieces were on the board and a game was evidently in progress. He liked to play chess himself and wondered if she was any good. A few bills on the desk were addressed to Kathryn Jones.

There was a small stereo system with a lot of DVDs next to it. He looked at the music titles: she liked classical music, opera and jazz, but he also found rock and country music too. A stack of hard cover books indicated she liked murder mysteries, horror stories, science fiction and action, Tom Clancy, John Gresham, Steven King, Dean Kootnz were among the many authors she liked to read. He put the books down; he didn't read much, he didn't have the time.

On a shelf underneath the coffee table in front of her small sofa, he found a sketch pad and pencils. He sat down on the sofa with his butt totally bare and looked through the pad. It was was filled with sketches of people both young and old doing ordinary things. Clearly she was a people watcher. About half way down, he found several sketches of himself.

One sketch showed him dressed in a suit and lifting a piece of a wall; it was a picture of him working at the hotel that night lifting debris off of the victims of the hurricane. She didn't have a sketch pad with her at the dinner dance, so she must have done it from memory.

Another sketch showed him standing facing front with his hair blowing around his face. Two others showed him in different poses. She paid particular attention to his face; the likeness to him was very good.

A fifth sketch showed him as a viking warrior, or as she imagined a viking warrior would look like. He had a horned helmet on his head and an animal skin around his shoulders. His clothing was rough, and he was holding a shield and a long sword. The details were slightly wrong, of course, but she had no way of knowing that. He did wear animal skins back then, but he also wore brightly colored elegant silk clothing with lots of gold and jewels. The shield was all wrong and the sword he used at them time was broader and shorter. Still the sketch was unmistakably close.

She had taken a lot of care with all the sketches, especially those of him. He liked all of them, but he liked the last one best. They didn't spend much time talking tonight, and he sure didn't tell her anything about his human life. She had no idea how old he was. Nevertheless, he loved the fact that she tried to imagine him as a viking warrior. He had been both farmer and warrior when he was alive. It both pleased and touched him. Clearly, she was thinking as much about him as he was about her. He liked that a lot.

Finally, he stepped outside the kitchen door and made several circuits of the house and yard. He moved so fast that no one would have been able to see him. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he entered the house again.

Thirty minutes before daybreak, he took a quick shower and dressed. He shut off the lamp and was standing over her in the darkened bedroom, getting ready to leave when Katy said his name in her sleep once more. He felt a strong pull from deep inside. Instead of leaving, he stripped off his clothing, got into bed beside her and pulled her close to him once more. She sighed in contentment; he felt content and happy too.

As his internal senses told him day had arrived, Eric Northman did something he hadn't done in centuries, he fell asleep in a bed with a woman he cared about in his arms, a mysterious woman who used two names. The last woman he had slept with like this was Pam and that was three hundred years ago. He never actually slept with human women, not even Sookie slept with him during the day. He knew he was being extremely foolish, but he just couldn't make himself leave her side, not yet anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

Dark Desire – Chapter 8

Katy woke up just before 3 o'clock the next afternoon. She was laying almost at the edge of her full bed, another inch and she'd be on the floor. She could feel a big body behind her, spooning close around her. A big hand cupped her naked breast and a heavy leg was thrown across both of hers. It was Eric Northman, and she was surprised. The last thing she ever expected was to wake up and find the vampire next to her in bed. She thought they all had to sleep in coffins with dirt from their native soil, or something like that.

_Oh, Christ! I'm in deep shit! _She thought as she managed to wiggle carefully out from underneath his leg and onto the floor. It wasn't easy. The room was pitch black, so she turned on the lamp on the nightstand. She stood for a moment looking at the big male that took up most of her bed. He grunted and moved onto his back with both of his arms flung out to the side.

_He is so beautiful!_ She thought, and he was too. His body was tall and powerfully built with well defined muscles in all the right places. He had a few old scars, but they didn't mar his perfection; they just made him seem more male. His chest was free of hair, but he had a thick, blonde curly thatch growing up toward his navel from the juncture of his groin.

His male organ was flaccid and lay across one leg. It was large, but only a small fraction of the size it was last night. She blushed as she thought how it felt deep inside her and how good it made her feel. On a whim, she reached one hand down and stroked it lightly with her fingernails. He flinched, cupped himself protectively and mumbled something she didn't understand.

She looked up at his face. In his sleep, his face seemed smooth and young. He didn't look like a powerful, authoritative alpha male' like he did when he was awake. She guessed he was mid to late twenties and was probably younger than she when he was turned. She wondered how long he had been a vampire.

Eric suddenly whispered her name, and her heart started to thrum loudly in response. Suddenly she stiffened and remembered her situation. She knew for certain that she had feelings for the male that lay before her; strong feelings, inappropriate feelings. Feelings that had grown stronger since the night she first met him. Feelings that she could not afford to have. Feelings that would probably cause both of them nothing but trouble. Feelings that she intended to nip in the bud tonight.

If she had only herself to worry about, she may have felt differently, but she was not the only one involved in her mess. Her aunt, Mathilda Rothschild, was in Witness Protection too, but in a different state. Aunt Mattie was visiting her in Los Angeles the evening Richard beat her and her boyfriend up outside her apartment building. That night, before she was discharged from the hospital, Katy told her aunt all about her father, Richard and Mr. Wakefield. She also told her how she had found Richard and her best friend, Tracy Coleman, in bed together that day. Her aunt was appalled and begged her to come and stay with her, but Katy knew that would only endanger her, so she contacted the FBI instead.

Less than a year after she went into the Witness Protection Program, Richard and James Wakefield tried to force her out into the open by threatening Aunt Mattie. She was living in Seattle when one of the nightly talk show programs on cable TV did an update on the story. A picture of Katy and her aunt at her parent's funeral was featured on the program. Katy was overcome by a fierce longing to talk to her beloved Aunt Mattie. She broke the rules and called her.

Her aunt picked up almost immediately; she was hysterical. Over the past few weeks, she had received several terrifying phone calls and threats from the Wakefields. It took a long time to calm her down.

Katy informed her Wit Sec handler, but since her aunt had no testimony to give, the FBI wasn't interested. Katy threatened not to testify if her aunt was not given protection. The feds finally did as she asked, but only grudgingly. They made no bones about the fact that if Katy didn't do exactly as they wanted, when they wanted, her aunt would be evicted from the program and left to fend for herself. Katy made a devil's bargain and went along with everything they wanted to protect her only living relative. The two women were kept separate. Today, she had no idea where her aunt was. She was told that it was safer for the both of them that way.

Since Miami, she had been forced to move in a hurry several times. Each time she had been told that the Wakefields or someone else found out where she or her aunt was, and they were both was in danger. On two occasions, people that she had become friendly with had been hurt badly when strange men came looking for her. That made her feel guilty and hesitant to form new friendships, but she she wasn't able to live without human contact, so she did.

She liked her job at the clinic and her quiet life. She liked the small home where she lived now. The house was old, but it was also the nicest one she had lived in since being in Witness Protection. Her life was so different from the life she had when she was married or when she was growing up: now there were no no mansions, expensive cars or clothing, no fancy vacations or expensive shopping trips, no fine dining, or opera or movie premiers. She had no cook or maids to clean the house. She had to take care of herself, but she liked it that way. In the past three months, she had began to feel a growing sense of stability as if she belonged here. She had made a couple of good friends, and she liked them a lot. She didn't want to endanger them. She didn't want to have to move again.

Over the years, she had learned to be very careful and look for the signs that she had been discovered: someone hanging around her job or her home; someone asking questions about her; a too nosy neighbor or co-worker; a picture snapped when she wasn't aware of it, or just simply a feeling of being watched. She lived as quietly as she could and avoided the limelight. Last week's charity function had been the first time that she had dressed in evening clothes in years.

Eric Northman was a very public persona; if she continued in a relationship with him, a picture of the two of them was bound to show up in the news somewhere. She would be discovered. If she was discovered, there was a good chance that her Aunt Mattie would be discovered too. There was also the chance that her aunt, or her other friends, or even Eric, might be hurt. No, she didn't want to involve him in her problems, so she decided to end it.

Nevertheless, she couldn't resist bending over and stroking his cheek; she was going to kiss him lightly before taking a shower. Two powerful hands reached up and grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him. He was still asleep, but two heavy arms and two heavy legs wrapped around her once more. He turned to the side with her still in his arms. She struggled to get up, but he only sighed, "No!" and held on tighter. She felt like a bird in a cage.

She struggled a moment more and realized the futility of that action. She lay still for a while, and sure enough, he started to relax. After a few more minutes, he turned again on his back with her on top of him; He relaxed his arms and legs. She had been waiting for the opportunity; she quickly scooted down and launched herself backward off the bed. She landed on the floor on her butt in a jumble of arms and legs. He automatically grabbed for her again; she had narrowly missed being caught in his arms once more.

"Hah! Gotcha! You're a real pain in the ass to share a bed with, do you know that?" She said, knowing her couldn't hear her. Yet, some part of him must have known she was talking to him. He made a huffy, soft growling sound, as if he were insulted. The sound was definitely non-threatening. He moaned and turned over on his side once more.

She stood far enough back from the bed so that his hands couldn't reach her and looked at him once more. The breeze from the air-conditioner moved the air over the bed; the bedroom smelled strongly of sex. "Whew!" I must reek, too." she said out loud and stepped into the bathroom to take a shower.

Once in the shower, she realized that she wasn't sore anywhere. After the vigorous sex they had this morning, her body should be achy, tender and sore for days. After toweling off, she examined herself closely in the mirror. She couldn't see any signs of their lovemaking. No hickeys or marks of any kind, not even on the throat where he had bitten her. She found that curious.

She dressed quickly and was eating her breakfast when the phone rang. It was Mary Lebron; a neighbor who lived about a half mile further down the road. Katy had attended the charity function with Mary and her husband, Gene. They had an older son, Mike, who had been killed in Afghanistan. They were big supporters of any organization that helped soldiers and other military personnel after they returned home from war.

The two women talked for a minuted, and Mary invited her to a pool party in her backyard that evening. "It's going to start at nine. Just bring your swimsuit and a couple of bottles of coke, if you can. Gene has invited a couple of guys that work on the oil rig with him. He wants to introduce you around."

They had tried to fix her up before several times. Katy groaned inwardly. She knew Mary was just trying to be friendly. She had fixed her up on a blind date with their handsome friend, Ralph Thompson, who was a high school buddy of Gene's. Katy didn't like blind dates, but to please Mary, she agreed. She went out to dinner with Ralph one Saturday night a few weeks ago.

Katy knew it was a mistake almost from the minute she met him at the restaurant. Ralph monopolized the conversation; it was clear that he thought himself to be quite a catch. That put her off immediately. In the parking lot after dinner, he tried to paw her before she got into her car. He seemed to expect payment for the meal.

She asked him to stop, but he didn't believe she meant it and persisted. When she refused his advances, he got angry and red in the face. At one point, she thought he was going to hit her. She realized then that Ralph Thomson was too much like Richard for her to ever like him. He had been bothering her to go out with him ever since. Katy never told Mary and Gene because he was such a good friend of theirs.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to make it, Mary. I have a guest; he stayed over last night." Katy replied. She had no intention of going to the party; she just didn't feel like it now.

"Someone interesting, I hope. Is he hot? You will have to tell me all about it." Mary made a leering snicker over the phone. Mary had told Katy quite a few times that she thought Katy was too serious for her own good and that she needed a good fuck now and then to lighten her up a little.

"You are too much, Mary." Katy laughed as she hung up.

Katy met Mary for the first time on the day after she moved to the New Orleans area three months ago. She had bumped into the older, vivacious brunette with her shopping cart on her first trip to the supermarket about a mile from her new home. Katy apologized profusely, but Mary just laughed. "You're new in the area, aren't you?" she asked. Katy nodded.

The two women started talking, and Katy found out that they both lived on the same dirt road that ran along side U.S. 23. Katy lived in a small two bedroom ranch on the side of the road that backed up to a large swamp. Mary, her husband and two kids, lived in a larger house about a mile further down on the side that backed up to the highway.

The neighborhood was definitely blue collar, but each house was fairly well maintained, had large front and back yards with flowerbeds and well maintained lawns. Most had a small above ground pool, a picnic table and chairs, and a big charcoal or gas grill in back. Katy had a small deck and grilled outside frequently.

Mary had an open, trusting face, a ready smile, and a lilting Cajun accent that Katy just loved. She was friendly and warm, and had a salty, earthy sense of humor that was infectious. In no time at all, the two women were fast friends. Her husband, Gene, was gone a lot because of his job on an oil rig off the coast, so the two women spent a lot of time together.

Katy sometimes babysat five year old Davy and eight year old Desiree when Mary went shopping or had an appointment. Katy tended to be much more reserved and more refined than Mary, but Mary was rubbing off on her a little. Fitting into a new place was hard for her, so Mary's friendship meant a lot to her.

Mary worked afternoons as a nurse in a walk-in clinic in Oakville. The clinic was in a poor neighborhood and served the needs of the community which mostly consisted of people eking out an existence on social security or on minimum wage jobs. One of the doctors working there had recently left for a better paying position at a hospital in New Orleans. The busy facility was looking for a replacement.

Katy applied the next day and started working immediately after the interview. The clinic was in a much different world from the one she had known before, but that was the whole point. Once she had been an up and coming ER doctor, working in a state of the art facility. Her patients were the wealthiest people in her small California town, including a few celebrities and movie stars.

Now she worked in a small neighborhood clinic that lacked the expensive new equipment and the resources that she was used to in California. Now she tended to the homeless, addicted, indigent and just plain poor blue collar workers and their families who lived in Oakville and the surrounding area.

She knew that the phony job references for the fictitious medical doctor known as Kathryn Jones would check out okay. Her new handler, Gwen Jameson, would see to that. Gwen had made her thoroughly memorize the details of her new identity which she had done with no effort. She had been through this several times before and knew the routine well.

As she sat eating, Katy berated herself for being so stupid as to tell Eric Northman she wanted to go out with him and then challenging him to find out who she was. This past week, she had been torn between the desire to see him again, and the fear that she would. She had regretted saying she wanted to go out with him almost immediately after she said it, but she didn't want him to know. That's why she wouldn't tell him her name.

For the last week, he had never once left her mind. Even though a part of her wanted to see him again, the other part didn't. She knew that seeing him again was just asking for trouble. She was so sure that he would not find her because she did not have practicing privileges at any of the local hospitals. She really didn't think he would even try. Why would he: the newspapers and TV and had frequently shown him escorting several different beautiful women around town; they were all young and gorgeous as gossip columns often speculated about who he was dating. He was with a beautiful small blonde the night she first saw him.

She was extremely surprised when he showed up this morning just in time to chase that creep, Ralph, away. She blamed herself for what happened after that. She was the one who kissed him. Now she had to try to get herself out of the hole she had dug for herself. She was determined to tell him she didn't want to see him again.

At dusk, Eric awoke and sat straight up as was his custom. He groaned as he recognized that he was in Katy Jones' bedroom, not his own. He quickly replayed the events of this morning over in his head, and he cursed himself for his foolishness. Sleeping with a strange woman in a strange house was beyond foolish; it was down right dangerous. Especially since that woman seemed to be living under a phony name. It was even worse than that because she had so easily made him forget himself. _This has has to stop, right now!_ He told himself.

He remembered how much he wanted her this past week. He remembered the feelings he had as they made love and as he lay beside her this morning. He cursed himself again. He did not want to care about Katy Jones, and he was determined not to. The last thing that he needed was to get involved with another damn human woman. He made up his mind to glamour her and make her forget he was ever there, just like he did other human females in the past.

He showered quickly, dressed and stepped into the kitchen. Katy was folding laundry at the kitchen table. She was dressed in a T-shirt and cut-off jeans and flip flops. Without saying a word, she got up, took a True Blood out of the refrigerator, warmed it up and handed it to him. The two of them stood there looking at each other warily like two prize fighters in the ring while he drank. Each was waiting for the other to speak.

Eric finished the bottle quickly, set it down on the counter and walked over to her. Taking Katy's face firmly in his hand, he turned it up to his. Looking deeply into her eyes, he tried to glamour her. In a sultry, mesmerizing voice, he said, "Katy, you did not see me this morning. I was never here. You came home from work alone. You don't know me, you have never seen me before. You will not see me again. Do you understand?" Eric expected her eyes to dilate and then glaze over in that half-dazed way that vampire glamour always left humans, but Katy's eyes remained focused and clear. That shocked the old vampire.

Katy knew the moment he opened his mouth that he was trying to glamour her. The glamour wouldn't work on her, and she knew it. She had determined hours ago that it was best that they not see each other again, but still the fact that he apparently felt the same way really got under her skin. What made it even worse was that he had the gall to try and mess with her mind and to erase memories of events that actually happened. That infuriated her more than anything. No one had a right to do something like that to another person as far as she was concerned.

"What the hell do you think you are you doing, you arrogant jerk? What right do you have to try and mess with my head? You think you can erase my memory by trying to glamour me? I already told you I can't be glamoured or hypnotized. I know full well what happened this morning, and I'm not likely to forget. You don't have to worry about me; if you don't want to see me again, Mr. Northman, just be man enough to say so. I'm a big girl; I can take it." she said angrily.

Eric didn't apologize for his actions, far from it. He retorted, "I am a busy man. I just don't want to get involved with you, or any other human woman right now. I just don't want to see you again. I thought glamouring you to forget me would be simpler and better all the way around. It's what I do."

"Simpler and better for who? What did you think I was going to do: attach myself to your leg and beg you not to leave as you dragged me down the street. You are so full of yourself, you conceited ass. Frankly, I don't think you're all that big a deal." The words rushed out, white hot and angry. "You know, you are not the only one who thinks it's not a good idea for us to get involved with each other. I am too busy and my life is complicated enough right now. I don't need some arrogant asshole making matters worse. I was just going to tell you that I didn't want to see you again either, so I guess we're on the same page."

All of that was true, but her pride was hurt, and she lashed out at him. She knew she had no right to be angry because he didn't want to see her again, but he had even less right to try and mess with her head. He had no right to do that. No one did.

Eric and looked at her with astonishment and incredulity on his face. He started to get angry. Just a few short minutes ago, he didn't want to see her again, but he never expected her to feel the same way. That was the last thing he expected to hear, and that hurt his pride. He was the Vampire King of Louisiana. How dare this damn human woman tell him she didn't want to see him again! He felt extremely insulted.

Seconds later, the import of the fact that she couldn't be glamoured sank in. The only people who were immune to glamour were telepaths, fairies, witches and other supes. She didn't seem to be any of these. Just who and what the hell was this woman? What had she wanted with him in the first place, and why was she so eager to get rid of him now? He was determined to find out.

His eyes glittered in fury as he demanded, "Who are you; what are you? What the hell do you want from me? Are you some kind of a whore, or just a loose woman? You sure acted like one this morning and last week too." His words were deliberately insulting and nasty and intended to shock. Katy stiffened and fixed him with a glare that could have melted iron. She slapped him hard across the face. That astonished Eric even more, and his fangs came out, and he hissed loudly at her.

"What I am, or who I am is none of your business, and I don't want a damn thing from you, you conceited asshole. Right now I'd say you've made your feelings about me very clear. You think I'm a whore. You don't like me one little bit. Well that's just fine and dandy with me, because I don't like like you either. I think you should leave now. I sure as hell don't want to waste any more of my time on the likes of you." She yelled loudly at him and stalked passed him into the bedroom and started stripping the bed.

Eric wasn't at all satisfied with the way this was going. He wasn't used to being spoken to in such a manner by anyone, especially by a human female. He sure wasn't used to being slapped by one either. His temper flared white hot. He wanted some answers. He started to go after her, but his cell phone rang. It was Daniel Brady asking where he was.

"Boss ,where have you been? We have been looking all over for you? Please don't tell me you slept the day at that human woman's house. You don't know a thing about her. You know how dangerous and foolish that is. Besides, Bill, Sookie and Judith are still here. Aren't you supposed to meet with them tonight?" Daniel started going over the agenda he was supposed to handle tonight.

He was still talking to Daniel when Katy came out of the bedroom carrying the bedsheets. Ignoring him, she pulled open two louver doors to a large closet in the hallway. Behind the doors stood a washer and dryer. She loaded the sheets and added soap and turned on the machine . Without saying a word to him she walked back into the bedroom. Within minutes, the bed was made with fresh linen.

Eric just stood there waiting for her; he was determined to put this damn human woman in her place. By the time she came of of the bedroom, she had changed her clothes. She decided to take Mary up on her offer and go to the pool party afterall. She had on a colorful bikini. It wasn't a thong, and it more than covered what it should, but it still didn't leave much to the imagination. Over that, she wore an open front, sleeveless, short cotton lacy robe-like shirt that had no buttons/ She still had on her flip flops. The robe she had on was the kind of see-through thing you wear at the beach over a bathing suit.

Eric stopped talking to Daniel and just gaped at her with his mouth open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His body reacted and he started to get aroused, and that made him even angrier than ever.

"Geez, are you still here? I thought you were a busy man. Don't you have to go suck somebody's blood? Don't you have to go glamour somebody? Don't you have some vampire things to do?" she sarcastically said as she opened the pantry door, pulled out two large bottles of soda and put them in a cloth shopping bag with two large handles. She grabbed her car keys and purse and headed for the front door.

She gave an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders. "Well, stay if you must, asshole. Just shut door tight when you leave, and don't let any flies in the house. Bye." she added nastily.

He caught her on the front porch. "Where the hell do you think you are going dressed like that?" he demanded indignantly. He didn't want to see her again, but he sure as hell didn't want some other man seeing her dressed like that. His temper flared out of control. He was green with jealousy. The sight of her made him want her as badly as before. He could feel himself getting hard again. His fangs started to extend again.

His belligerent tone made Katy even more angry than she was. "It's none of your business where I am going, or what I am wearing, Mr. Northman. We are not seeing each other, and I don't have to answer to you!" she said icily as she tried to push past him. She didn't make it.

In a blur of motion, he had her backed up against the the front of the house. He was kissing her furiously. His fangs were fully extended. She winced a little in pain as his fangs nicked her tongue. His tongue probed deep in her mouth. His kiss was demanding and hard. He wasn't being soft or gentle this time. She could taste her own blood in her mouth.

He tasted it too, jerked and pushed her head to the side. He bit her on the neck, and lapped at it like he had done before. Once again she felt a sharp sensation like a lightning charge stab through her body from her neck to her crotch. In seconds, her whole body tensed tight like a rubber band getting ready to snap; then release. She felt the first of many small explosions deep inside as she orgasmed. Moisture pooled between her legs.

Her body's instinctive reaction to Eric's bite angered her and pushed her over the top. "You son of a bitch!" she snarled at him. This time, she pushed his shirt off his shoulder and without thinking, she bit him back very hard. She broke the skin. _What's good for the goose is good for the gander! _She thought. She could taste Eric's blood as it filled her mouth. She lapped and sucked at it, just like he had done moments before at her neck. His blood tasted rich and sweet and slightly coppery. It tasted so good, she bit him again harder than before and sucked some more.

She didn't know what to expect, but she didn't expect the reaction she got. Instead of telling at her to stop; he growled deep in the back of his throat and seemed to go into a frenzy of motion. He was everywhere; his hands and tongue moved so fast over her body, she could barely think straight from the tidal wave of hot erotic pleasure that ripped through her like a storm.

She barely had a chance to catch her breath when her bikini bottoms were on the floor of the porch. Eric was deep inside her moving fast. She began to shiver and tremble uncontrollably. She put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs tightly around his hips as he hammered into her. An almost painful tension started building up lower in her body once more. She grabbed his hips and pulled him into her. She was kissing him back, smearing his blood all over his neck and face. His pelvis ground hard against hers making contact with her clit sending eddies of exquisite sensations rippling through her once more. She gasped softly as she ground her own body against him again and again, until they came together.

Finally, he pulled his mouth away from hers; his lips were drawn back; his fangs looked deadly and huge. With a feral snarl, he looked deep into her eyes and said. "None of my business, my ass! I am making it my business!" She was convinced that he meant it.

Earlier Katy sincerely had no intention of ever having sex with him again. She was angry at her body's reaction. She was confused by it. She felt betrayed by it. Did she want him, or not? Did he want her, or not? She moved her head and looked into his eyes. She could see the same confusion in his eyes, but she also saw amusement. She thought he was laughing at her. She knew immediately that he had known exactly how she would react. That made her madder than ever; her face flushed red hot, and her fists clenched into tight balls.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" she asked helplessly. She was ashamed of herself and how easy it was for him to arouse her. It was all he could do to keep himself from laughing out loud. It was all she could do to keep from slapping him silly.

"I think we both want each other, and I think we both know it. Don't we?" he said; he was so cocksure of himself, she wanted to spit.

She nodded. There was no escaping it, she did want him. "I guess that's true. One thing, though. Let's just enjoy this thing while it lasts. No promises of forever. No commitment. No pledges of undying love. When one of us wants to end it, we say goodbye, and that's that, okay? No fuss, no muss and no bother." she said firmly.

"You mean if I want to leave, you won't attach yourself to my leg and beg me not to leave as I drag you down the street?" For some reason, that sounded funny to him now, so he laughed. She nodded again, so he agreed. He picked her up and carried her back inside to the bedroom. He wasn't finished with her yet.

Through the cellphone in his hand, he could hear Daniel saying. "What the hell is going on, Eric? I can't believe this, after all the big fuss about finding her; after all you put us through, are you two fighting already?"

"Oh, shut up, Daniel. I've got better things to do than listen to you." he said, snapped the phone shut and threw it across the room.

He turned to Katy. She had removed her top and was trying to get his jeans off. Her hands were shaking so bad that she wasn't having much luck with his belt. Her earlier thoughts about not getting involved with him had flown completely out the window the minute he began to kiss her. She knew it; she also knew there was nothing she could do about it, except surrender to the emotions flooding her now. She cared about this man, but she didn't want him to know it. He had been ready to walk away, and she didn't want that kind of hurt. She was determined not to let her feelings get out of hand.

Hours later, after their passion was spent, they lay facing each other talking. The room was lit by the bedside lamp, and they could both see each other clearly. His previous intention to break it off with her was forgotten, at least temporarily.

Eric supported his head on one arm. The other arm lay along side his body. He was totally relaxed. He felt happy and content. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this.

With the tips of her fingers, she began to explore his chest, upper abdomen and forearm. She traced the definition of his collar bone, breastbone and ribs, then each muscle in his abdomen in turn. She ran her fingernails lightly down his forearm and watched the soft blonde hair rise as it was stimulated. She smiled a little as the skin on his chest and arm prickled in tiny goosebumps at the contact of her fingertips. He shivered just a little each time she touched him.

As a vampire, Eric normally didn't like to be touched, except during sex, but he liked what she was doing to him. He had hundreds of thousands of lovers over his long lifetime, but he couldn't remember ever being touched like this. If he had, it certainly never made him feel this way. He liked watching her fascination with his body. He liked her soft hands touching him, being curious about him. It was if she was studying him and getting to know him better. He liked the thought of that a lot.

Her touch was soft and tender. It made him feel warm and good inside. She laid her cheek against the bare skin of his chest for a brief moment. "Your skin is so cool; it feels so good," she said. Myth said that vampires were dead; to her, he was cooler than a human male, but he wasn't cold like a corpse. His body sure didn't react like a corpse either. She leaned closer and inhaled deeply a couple of times. He sure didn't smell like a corpse. "You smell so good." she added as her fingers started exploring his face.

He caught her hand, kissed her palm and rubbed it against his cheek. "Why aren't you afraid of me? I could so easily kill you, don't you know that?" he said sharply. He was totally mystified by her lack of fear. He was baffled by her reaction to him. He didn't like either feeling.

"What do you mean? I know you aren't going to hurt me." she asked in surprise.

"Most humans can't stand to even be near a vampire, let alone touch us. They avoid us unless they are glamoured, a fangbanger, or addicted to our blood. They think we are too cold, and we frighten them. I think we remind them of death. Some unconscious survival instinct kicks in with most humans, and yet here you are. I don't understand you at all." He said almost plaintively. He really was perplexed.

"Yes, of course, I know you could kill me, but I know you won't. I know you don't want to. I can't speak for anyone else, but I like you the way you are. I like being with you like this, and I'm not afraid of you. Besides, I think..." She started to say she thought he was beautiful, but she thought she had already said too much. She was beginning to embarrass herself, and she didn't want to embarrass herself any further.

He was ready to press her for an answer, but her stomach growled loudly. She realized she hadn't eaten much today. "I'm hungry, she said, getting up from the bed. She was heading for the kitchen to fix a sandwich.

"Come on, get dressed. I'm taking you out to dinner." he said.


	9. Chapter 9

Dark Desire – Chapter 9

Katy showered quickly and dressed in a pair of black dress slacks and a pale gray top with spaghetti straps that showed off her toned arms. High heeled sandals and a small clutch completed her attire. She looked elegant without being overdressed. Eric was proud of her as she walked out of the bedroom.

He drove her old Honda Pilot to a small cafe in New Orleans not far from his palace. The cafe catered almost exclusively to the supe community. The owner was a vamp named Reggie. By the time they got there, a light summer rain had started, so Eric grabbed her hand, and the two made a dash for the front door.

Just before the two entered, a camera flashed in their faces. After a sharp intake of breath, Katy turned her face toward Eric and put her other hand up to hide from the lens. The camera man was a fiftyish, gray haired, pot bellied human. He was stringer for one of the local TV channels and a small newspaper and had been hanging around outside the cafe. He knew the cafe's reputation for catering to vamps and other supes. He covered them all for the station, and he was waiting for opportunity to make make the gossip columns. Eric flashed a hard look at the man and memorized his face.

Inside the cafe, the owner greeted them and started to escort the two of them to a small private room usually reserved for the Vampire King. All eyes in the cafe turned to look at Eric Northman who was holding the hand of a tall unknown redhead. They all wondered who she was.

Eric noticed Bill, Sookie, Daniel and Judith sitting in a corner with drinks in front of them. The two couples were looking at them too. He nodded to the four of them. He turned to her and said. "Katy, Reggie will get you seated and take your order. There are some people I have to talk to; it will only take a minute. Order me a bottle of Royal Blue, okay." She smiled at him and proceeded after Reggie.

Katy walked behind Reggie as the vamp plied her with inane blandishments. The small vamp looked and sounded Italian. He reminded her of an actor she had seen once in a silent movie she had watched in college for an elective drama class. He kept complimenting her on her good taste for being with the great Eric Northman. He really seemed to be pouring it on, and she wanted to laugh at the silliness of his words.

Because she was looking at Reggie, she just didn't notice Ralph Thompson sitting in a booth on the other side of the small room. He was looking straight at Katy with hatred barely concealed in his black eyes. Ralph was a pharmaceuticals salesman. He was entertaining a prospect who was a hospital administrator for one of the largest hospitals in the city. He was also a shape shifter, but Ralph didn't know that. The hospital was an account that Ralph had tried to land for years without success. The shape shifter had no intention of doing business with Ralph, he was just along for the spiel and the meal.

Jealousy, anger and contempt flooded Ralph as he watched Katy and the tall blonde vampire walk into the restaurant. He hated the male vampire, but he hated Katy more for rejecting him for a vampire. He blamed her for his humiliation in front of the clinic. He vowed revenge against the redheaded doctor, but his handsome face was smooth and benign as he turned back to his companion. He made a racist joke about human women and vampires. His guest just laughed; he didn't like vampires that much either.

Eric walked over to the corner table where Bill, Sookie, Judith and Daniel sat. The four of them greeted him. He said, "There's a paparazzi outside, Daniel. He took pictures. I don't want any pictures of Katy showing up in the papers, understand?" Daniel nodded.

"So that's the woman that the big fuss was all about the other night. When will we all get to meet her?" Sookie said with a bright smile.

"Not yet, Sookie, but soon, perhaps. Bill, Daniel, could I talk to you two for a moment?" He didn't wait for an answer, both vamps just got up and followed him into the hallway outside of his private room.

"Are you and Sookie still going to be in New Orleans tomorrow night, Bill?" he asked. Bill said yes. "Look, I want to meet with you and Daniel in my office tomorrow night. I have a special project for you both. I have no doubt that you can handle this by yourself, Daniel. But I think I will get faster results with the two of you working together." Bill and Daniel both nodded.

He dismissed his two subjects and entered the room where Katy was waiting. The room was small, but well decorated. It was clearly meant for a private tete a tete between two lovers. It had a small loveseat in a blue and gold print with a coffee table in front. A cozy, but small dining table and two chairs with seat cushions covered in the same material as the loveseat adorned the center of the room. Along the other side of the room, a large credenza filled with expensive liquors and crystal stemware completed the decor. The room was filled with fresh cut flowers and lit mostly by candlelight. Soft music filled the air. It was very romantic.

Katy was sitting at the table when he walked inside. She had ordered her meal already. A beautiful crystal goblet and a large bottle of Royal Blue sat on the table. Katy was enjoying a glass of wine that Reggie had recommended. A few minutes later, a pretty waitress walked in with her food. She had ordered a large sirloin steak with a baked potato, broccoli and a salad. She finished it off with a caramel glazed flan and two cups of black coffee.

Eric sipped his Royal Blue and watched her carefully as she consumed her meal. He didn't care for the odor of cooked meat, but he liked watching her eat. She ate with gusto as if she really enjoyed herself. She didn't seem to be worried about her weight. In the last two nights, she had burned so many calories due to long and vigorous bouts of lovemaking, she was starving.

They talked as they waited for her food and then later as she ate. He asked her about the clinic and why she worked there, and not at a large hospital in the city. The clinic was in a bad neighborhood, and he thought she was wasting her time working with the poor patients she served there. He offered to get her a position in a private hospital in New Orleans where she could doctor patients who had money and power, a better class of people according to him.

"I like where I am working. I like the people I work with and I like the patients I serve. For your information, I was born and raised in a family that had both wealth and power. I married into another powerful and wealthy family. Power and wealth don't make a better class of people; sometimes they just help hide what kind of monster a person really is. I know that from personal experience." she said bitterly. She was thinking of Richard, her father and her father-in-law.

She wanted to change the subject, so she about his reaction when she bit him. She tingled all over and her heart began to race as she remembered how he went crazy after she bit him. "You liked it when I bit you, didn't you?" she asked. "Why?"

He smiled as he picked up the sound of her racing heart. He liked the effect he had on her. "Blood and sex are inseparable for vampires. The sensation of teeth breaking the skin is very erotic; it really excites us, and when we feel a lover directly drinking blood from us, it inflames us even more. The need to feed and the need for sex are both primal urges and intertwined for vampires. Even if we are not hungry and don't need to feed, the urge to bite during sex is instinctive; it is part of our nature. As you saw, as much as we like to bite, we like to be bitten back just as much."

"Is it the same when you have sex with another vampire?' Katy was curious.

"No. When we have sex with a human, we have to hold back and not use our full strength. Your bodies are so fragile and easily broken. If we didn't hold back, we could easily kill you. If we lost control, we would not be able to stop ourselves from draining you, but when we have sex with another vampire, we don't have to hold back at all. Our bodies are naturally very strong and heal quickly. We give in to our animal nature; we not only bite, we claw and rip at each other. Our passions are both violent and bloody. We are indefatigable; we can go on for hours and hours, and not get tired. Human bodies would not be able to withstand vampire sex."

Katy didn't like the sound of that and shuddered. Yet, his explanation only raised more questions. "Why do you do it with humans then? It sounds like it sex is better for you with a vampire. It can't be much fun to hold yourself back that way."

"It's not so complicated. We need your blood to live, at least we did before synthetic blood, and as I said, blood equals sex. We are naturally attracted to your warmth. We are cold and your bodies are so warm, hotter still during sex. Your skin is so soft and alluring. Just the very smell of your human blood sexually excites us. The very sound of your heart beating is the most powerful aphrodisiac we know." He explained.

"We are even attracted by your futile efforts to get away from us. We are natural predators, and we enjoy the hunt. Although we don't have to hunt our food anymore, many of us still enjoy the art of glamour and seduction. We have deep passions, but human emotions are so much deeper and more interesting than ours. You are so full of life and so involved with living your short mortal lives, it is fascinating to watch you. Your scramble for life can be an endless source of entertainment, you know."

"Wow. Humans provide you with food and sex and a big, belly laugh too. Golly, aren't we the lucky ones." Katy said sarcastically.

Eric laughed. "Well you asked, so I told you. But the truth is some vampires actually form deep attachments with their humans in a way that is almost impossible with another vampire. We can fall in love with a human although it doesn't happen often, and when it does it almost always poses problems for us. We rarely fall in love with another vampire; we are not made that way. When we love another vampire, eventually our nature and the need to dominate the other takes over. Obviously, that does not bode well for a long relationship."

He added, "Look, Katy; when you bit me, you took my blood inside you. I have to warn you about that. As a doctor, I am sure that you know vampire blood can have devastating affects on a human. Although our blood has great healing properties, it can also make you feel high like alcohol or drugs. It can be very addictive and have other really serious effects that you may not want. My blood is very powerful, so it can be even worse, especially if a human was foolish enough to form an attachment to me." His voice was soft, but matter of fact.

He was thinking of the blood bond he had with Sookie. In his effort to take Sookie away from Bill, he had connived and tricked her into a blood bond. He had paid a mighty price for his arrogance when she left him to go back to Bill. He had loved Sookie and his heart had ached for months after he lost her. He did not want that kind of pain again. He vowed never to form another blood bond with a human woman again, no matter what the circumstances.

Katy felt a sharp stab of pain in her heart. For a second, she felt like crying. He was giving her fair warning. She clearly understood the import of his words: _Don't invest your heart with me; it would be a bad investment._

She recovered her poise quickly and commented lightly, "You don't have to worry about me. No commitments or promises, remember? I move around a lot. I never know from one day to the next how long I am going to stay in one place. I really don't do attachments, and I don't do the girlfriend scene either. I just want to enjoy being with you while this thing lasts. It could end today, tomorrow or next month and that's okay with me. I don't want complications anymore than you do."

She went on, "Anyway, barely a week goes by that I don't treat several patients that are addicted to V. There is little I can do for them, so I know full well the results of V addition. It is so much worse than the usual drug addictions. At least with normal drugs, there is a chance of a cure, even if it's a small one. I am definitely not foolish enough to get addicted to V. But explain to me, why do vampires let their blood be sold that way? It's disgusting!" she said emphatically.

He didn't tell her that the tiny bit of blood she might take directly from him during sex wasn't likely to make her addicted, especially if there was an emotional attachment on her part. He knew she cared about him; he just didn't know how much. Even without an emotional attachment, blood taken fresh from a vampire was not as addictive as V drained and sold later in a vial. There was something about the aging of exsanguinated vampire blood that affected it and made it more addictive. But her remarks hit home and bothered him more than they should.

As the Sheriff of Area 5, he had been in the V trade himself in Shreveport. At first, it had been under Queen Sophie Anne's orders, but after her death, he continued doing it on his own. The V business was very lucrative, and he had no moral qualms about supplying humans and getting them addicted. If humans were stupid enough to use V, that was their problem.

However, that was all in the past. He was out of the V trade now. As part of the negotiation to obtain his crown as King of Louisiana, he had agreed with Nyall Brigant and Judith Vardamon to give up selling V. He didn't regret the decision one bit. As king, too many people and groups were looking over his shoulder, so he had to make sure all of his businesses were legit and above board. He made a lot of money in so many legal ways that breaking the law just to gain a little bit more was hardly worth it. Besides, trying to keep one step ahead of the Magister and the feds was taxing. He was glad he didn't have to worry about that anymore.

For a second, the thought that she might be an undercover agent working for the feds or the Magister occurred to him. He wondered if she had arranged to meet him that night at the charity dinner so she could spy on him. He turned his head away for a minute to think about this. Then he realized how foolish that thought was: not even the FBI or the Magister could cause a hurricane. She had never once attempted to contact him, and he was the first one to make advances to her. He knew that suspicion was ridiculous.

"Vampires are no different than humans when it comes to greed. Some will do anything for money." he answered stiffly. Her judgmental attitude angered him, but not as much as her breezy comments about not getting attached to him.

Sensing that he was angry for some reason, Katy took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and freshen up. When she reentered the room, the low lighting made her appear almost ethereal. He had begun to believe she was beautiful, but the little bit of his blood in her made her positively glow. He was moved by what he saw, his heart did a double take. He grabbed her and pulled her down on his lap and began to kiss her.

"I think you must be a witch, for surely you have cast a spell on me" he laughed lightly, but his throat constricted with emotion.

She began to run her tongue over the cool bare skin of this throat, paying attention to the sensitive hollow at the base. She could feel his body getting hard. "You're not bewitched, silly. You're just horny." To prove her point, she grabbed his crotch and squeezed a little. He grunted and got even harder.

"If you keep that up, I will have you right here." he whispered in her ear.

"Oh no. You can't do that here. You make too much noise." she teased.

"Me! I make too much noise?" he said, then he did a perfect imitation of the small sighs and moans she gave when they made love. He loved the sounds she made.

"Come on." she said. "Take me home, and I will serenade you some more."

They returned to her house and made love again, but neither drew blood. Even so, the sex was just as satisfying as before. Katy's body was completely sated, her stomach was full, and she felt happier and safer than she had in years. She was relaxed, so Eric caught her unprepared with his next comment.

"Look, I know your name isn't really Katy Jones. I know you used the name Emily Canton in Little Rock. I know Judith Vardamon. You used to work for her husband, Doc Hampton. Why don't you tell me what's going on with you?"

Katy tensed for a few seconds and then made herself relax. "How do you know Judith?" she asked; then she continued. "I met her once at a Christmas party. I did work for her husband, Doc, and he introduced us. She and Doc were both very nice, and I liked them both. Vampires had not been out that long, and I never met one until Doc hired me. He had several of them working at his lab. I had no idea that vampires and humans could love each other until I met those two. I was sorry to read about Doc's death after I left. If you see her, please give her my regards." She said quietly, but didn't volunteer any more information.

"Judith and I have business dealings together. And your name?" Eric persisted.

She realized that if he knew that much, there was no point in not answering, but she didn't have to tell him everything. "My first name is Katy, well Kathryn, actually. My last name isn't Jones, but does that really matter? I am not a criminal. I haven't stolen anything or killed anybody. I am not on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List." she joked lamely.

"It does matter if you are in some kind of trouble. I can protect you. I can help you." he offered.

"Thanks, but nobody can help me. Anyway, I am not in any serious kind of trouble. I am just trying to get away from some guys who are after my ex-husband. He has gambling debts and owes a lot of money. They are after me because they think I will pay them. That's all. It's a long, boring story, and it's kind of embarrassing. I don't like to talk about it. I can assure you, it has nothing to do with you." The lie came easily. It was a lie she had told before. She didn't embellish her story; she tried to sound reasonable and keep her voice calm.

Eric knew that she was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth. He decided not to press the issue. He had decided earlier in the restaurant that he would have Daniel and Bill investigate her. "Okay, no problem. I'll drop it."_ For, now._ He said to himself.

Still curious about her, he asked, "Why can't you be glamoured? Are you a witch? I think you must be a witch." He said that almost solemnly; he sounded quite put out. He didn't like the fact that he had met another woman he couldn't glamour.

Katy almost laughed at the sound of his solemn tone. He sounded like he actually believed what he was saying. "First a telepath or a fairy; now a witch. You're not serious, are you?" she asked. He nodded, indicating that he most certainly was.

"Well I am not a telepath, or a fairy, or a witch. I couldn't cast a spell with a fishing rod. When I was a little girl, my Uncle Martin determined that I am what's called a "null." A "null" is someone who can't be hypnotized. We are called "nulls" because psionic energies have no affect on us "

Eric looked perplexed. He never heard of that. "Why?" He asked.

"I almost became a psychologist, but I decided I could help more people by becoming an MD. Anyway, I studied a lot about the human brain. We know so little about it, but we do know that most humans use only a small portion of their brain. Research has shown that some people have strong psionic abilities, like telepathy, clairvoyance, empathy and many other types of ESP. Actually, almost every one has some ESP to a certain extent, but those abilities are latent for the most part; they are weak and have never really developed in most of us. Like anything else, with the right training and support, these abilities can be strengthened, and finely developed."

"But even though these abilities are latent in the overwhelming majority, they are still there. My uncle believed that a certain structure in the the brain acts as a receiver of psionic resonances. That part of the brain makes most people susceptible to hypnotism, telepathic probes and other psionic energies. People who have fully developed ESP gifts also have a structure that act as a transmitter, like a telepath, or an empath, for instance. They usually are immune to hypnotism because of their ESP."

"Then there are people like me who are completely blind and deaf to any type of psionic resonances. We neither transmit, nor receive psionic energies. Since we lack the those structures in our brain, our brains simply don't register them. Our brain structure and brain wave patterns are very different than most humans. We are not susceptible to telepathic probes or hypnotism. Uncle Martin theorized that it was either evolution or a physical defect.

"How did he know that? Is he still alive, I would like to talk to him about this." Eric asked; he was interested.

"No, he died almost five years go. Anyway, Uncle Martin was a parapsychologist and claimed to be a telepath himself. He did a lot of classified work for the government before the Soviet Union broke up. His unit did research in telepathy, remote viewing, and things like that. He later said both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. did it to try and get an advantage in case of a hot war. They were looking for secret bases where secret weapons were being built. He wrote a book on the subject after the Soviet Union fell and after his work was de-classified. He had a theory that ancient proto-humans used telepathy to communicate for hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of years before speech was developed. As humans evolved, we lost that ability."

"Uncle Martin was really funny and liked to play practical jokes. When he and my Aunt Mattie visited, he would do parlor tricks and hypnotize everyone in the room, except me. One day when I was about ten years old, on a dare, he made my father bray like a donkey. He had my mother jumping up and down at the word cat. Everyone got a big kick out of it, and he hypnotized everybody. I was the only one he could never hypnotize."

"At first he thought it was because I was young, but he started working with children younger than me at his lab. He asked my parents if he could test me, and he did. None of the doctors there could hypnotize me. He said I was a null. He told me that nulls are rare; maybe one person in every ten million is a null."

Eric didn't know whether to believe Katy or not. Except for Sookie, he had never met a human he could not be glamour.

He asked Katy if he could try to glamour her again, and she agreed. He tried several times...nothing. That irritated the hell out of him. He couldn't help but wonder what the fate of his kindred would have been if vampires did not have the power to glamour their human victims over the centuries. He didn't like the thought of that. He decided he would do a little research on his own into nulls.

As they lay together, it started to rain heavy. The sound of the rain against the tin roof of the small ranch house was soothing. The sound lulled Katy to sleep about four o'clock in the morning. She began to talk in her sleep. She was having a bad dream and was arguing with someone named Richard. He was probably an ex-husband or an ex-boyfriend. It was clear that she both hated and was afraid of him. He wondered if Richard had ever hit her because her hands went up to protect her face and she yelled for him to stop.

Eric lay by her side and watched her sleep for a while. He watched her as she moved restlessly and fought with her invisible attacker. It made him angry to see that. He leaned down and touched the scar on her left leg. He could tell that the leg had probably been broken within the last few years. The scar was ugly and red and marred an otherwise beautiful leg. Biting into his finger with one sharp fang, he massaged his blood into the scar. If he did this often enough, the scar would eventually fade until it couldn't be seen anymore.

As he dressed to go, He considered what he had found out about her. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Her first name was Kathryn. She was definitely running and hiding from someone and she had lied about it. Whoever it was, he didn't think it was someone trying to collect a gambling debt owed by her husband. She came from a wealthy family, and she had once dated, or had been married to a man named Richard who beat her. She had an ant named Mattie and an uncle named Martin who used to work for the government on top secret projects. She could not be glamoured. She didn't like entanglements and could skip town any time. He intended to turn this information over to Daniel and Bill and have it thoroughly checked out.

He left her house twenty minutes before dawn. It took him less than five minutes to fly home. As he prepared to lay down for his day's sleep, conflicting emotions warred for dominance within his heart. He realized that in just the few short hours that he had known Katy, he was beginning to fall in love her. He knew her mysterious past should be a red flag, but for some reason he didn't care.

Still, he didn't want to be hurt again. He made a decision: as much as he wanted her, he would stay away as long as it took to find out more about her.


	10. Chapter 10

Dark Desires – Chapter 10

On Sunday night, Eric came awake feeling strange. Before meeting Katy, he rarely had dreams about human women, but he had dreamed again of her today. The dreams were so intense and erotic that he woke up turgid and aching with with need. He took a cold shower, but it didn't help. His erection strained against his pants as he dressed. It really ticked him off that a mere human woman could make him feel this way.

For the first time in almost a year, he asked Alan, the young male vamp who served as his personal secretary, to bring a fangbanger to the small room adjacent to his office on the first floor. Ordering her take off her panties and lean forward with her hands on the wooden desk he took the woman from behind. He was rough. There was no foreplay, no kissing, no tenderness of any kind. He didn't ask her to undress and neither did he.

For him the sex was functional and quick, but she moaned and groaned in ecstasy as if it were the best sex she ever had. She screamed with pleasure when he finally bit down on her neck and drank a little of her blood. He grimaced with distaste and asked her to leave immediately afterward. He felt disgusted and unsatisfied, but at least he was able to walk around without being in an obvious state of arousal.

Tiffany Coulter, the young fangbanger who just serviced him, was blonde and sensuous. She was extremely aware of her body and the affect she usually had on men. But her nearly perfect body and face hid a truly tormented and twisted mind. As a child, she had been incessantly teased and made to feel like an outcast both at home and in school. A grossly overweight, clumsy kid, she never fit in with the popular crowd in school, although that was her sincerest desire. Her beautiful, slim mother constantly berated her and forced her on diet after diet. The constant belittling and teasing left her with deep emotional scars that never really healed even after years of therapy.

At the age of eighteen, once her mother could no longer object, she had bariatric surgery and lost 150 pounds. At nineteen, she underwent a series of plastic surgeries to remove excess skin from her arms, legs and stomach. She had large breast implants to uplift her smallish bosom, a nose job, laser surgery to correct vision problems and extensive dental work. The ugly duckling had become the beautiful swan she had so longed to be. While once shy and retiring, she became proud and arrogant and cruel. She put other girls through what she went through herself without a qualm, but she completely lacked self esteem.

Tiffany had worked for two years as a model earning good money. It was when she was a model that she had her first taste of V and met her first vampire. Now at the age of twenty four, she wanted nothing more than to score V, have sex with a vampire and be bitten by one. For the past three years, in addition to V, she had become addicted to alcohol, and other drugs. She didn't have to worry about money; she was the only child of a wealthy and powerful California congresswoman. She lived off an extremely generous trust fund set up by her even wealthier grandmother.

She was dating a vampire when she first saw Eric Northman at Fangtasia in Shreveport. The vamp male she was with was old and ugly; she was only dating him only for blood and sex; even old vampires were better in bed than most human males. She was immediately attracted to the blonde viking Sheriff of Area 5 and offered herself several times. It made her boyfriend jealous and he dumped her after a couple of weeks.

A newer, younger vamp boyfriend introduced her to court life just before Eric became king. She was in seventh heaven once Eric was crowned. Now on her own, she became one of the regular fangbangers who hung around court and at Fangs II, hoping that one day, Eric Northman would notice her, but he never did. She became obsessed with him.

That Sunday night, Eric's secretary selected her from all the other fangbangers in the large front room where they hung out. He escorted took her to the room outside Eric"s office. Her heart fairly burst with pride and happiness. Afterward, she bragged to the other fangbangers how wonderful it was to be with him and how much he had wanted her. She embellished in great detail the few minutes she actually spent with him. In her deluded mind, she was having a grand love affair with the powerful Vampire King of Louisiana. She had no idea that her selection was totally random. She wouldn't have believed it anyway, the effects of her addition to V and other drugs made her totally delusional.

Bill Compton and Daniel Brady passed her in the hallway on their way to Eric's office for the scheduled meeting. From her disheveled skirt and the marks on her neck it was clear what had just happened. Daniel took a long hard look at her. Bill looked too, and he was disgusted with what he saw.

"Do you know that blonde is Tiffany Coulter and her mother is Diana Coulter. She's a congresswoman from California. You better be careful with that one. There's something about her that's not quite right." Daniel said, but Eric only waved the warning off; he was not interested in the blonde who had just left.

Eric turned the topic to the redhead they both saw him with last night. He gave them all the information that he had on Katy and directed them to begin a thorough investigation. He wanted to know everything about her. He asked Daniel to check with his friends in law enforcement to see what he could find out. Bill was tasked to go to Little Rock and see what he could dig up there. He asked Bill to use any resources that Judith Vardamon may have to uncover the truth about Katy.

"Eric, you should stay away from this woman until we find out more about her. She looked harmless enough last night, but I don't like the fact that she's been lying to you. She could be a psychopath for all we know. Even if she's not, she could bring trouble down on you." Daniel said emphatically. He liked his boss and he was worried about him. Bill held his counsel, but he agreed with Daniel. When when Eric looked at him inquiringly, Bill nodded in agreement.

"I've already decided to do just that. I don't like the fact that she's lying either. I won't see her again until I know who she is and why she is in hiding. I want you to assign your best staff to watch her at all times. Vamps can do it at night; humans in the day, but no one is to go near her unless there is trouble. I want a daily report on her activities. If there is any trouble, I want to know immediately. Understood?" Eric said.

Daniel agreed, and he and Bill left. Eric turned his attention to the kingdom's business. His agenda was full and he was busy. He had a number of vamps seeking favors or permission to open businesses. There was the usual number of vamps requesting that he settle their disputes. There there was a newly turned baby vamp that had to be introduced by her maker. An a older vamp named Peter Kenyon who visiting New Orleans for a few days had to check in with him as well.

Eric took an instinctive dislike to the small red haired male. When Kenyon walked out of the throne room, Eric signaled Daniel back into his office. "Find out who he is and what he's up to." Daniel called one of the vamps on his staff and gave him the order to follow Kenyon.

All in all, the night was tedious and Eric was both tense and bored. He wanted to see Katy Jones, but he knew he could not. All night, as he worked, he tried to forget her, but everything seem to remind him of her. At one o'clock, he finally gave up, closed down the court and accompanied Daniel and Judith to Fangs II for a little blood and some relaxation. Bill and Sookie left earlier in the evening for Bon Temps. Bill would head to Little Rock on Monday night. Sookie missed their human family, and she was checking into taking classes at LSU starting in January. She and Bill both agreed that waitressing wasn't the best use of her intelligence. Since her telepathic gifts were enhanced, she was better able to handle the onslaught of other minds. Of course, Eric didn't know her gifts had returned.

Eric noted Judith had been hanging around a lot lately. She seemed to be interested in Daniel. That surprised him a little since Daniel was nothing like Bill. He knew the two had started dating and were involved with each other now. He made a note to ask Daniel about that later.

At the bar, several times he looked up quickly when thought he heard Katy's husky voice. Several times he thought he picked up the smell of orange blossoms, honey and spice that was her unique scent when the air conditioner blew his way. He couldn't stop himself from looking for her. It had been bad for him the prior week when his staff had searched for Katy, but could not find her. That paled in comparison to the torment he felt now.

Now that he actually had her, he felt much, much worse. Instead of becoming quickly bored with her as he usually did with human females, he wanted her even more than ever now. In the last two nights he had spent more time with her than he had with any female in very long time, except Pam and Sookie. He had even slept all Saturday in her bed. His vampire mind remembered every second of it, and that made him want to see her again, just to make sure it was real. She was an itch that he couldn't scratch. He futilely tried to erect a barrier against her in his mind.

All night long, he kept thinking of her soft, satiny, warm skin and her soft kissable mouth. He shivered a little as he remembered how good she smelled and and how wonderful her blood tasted; he could still taste it. He couldn't stop thinking of how it felt inside her and how she moved under him as they joined. He couldn't stop hearing her soft sighs and moans as he pleasured her or the sounds she made when she came. Unbidden thoughts of her kept breaking through his shaky barrier. He was distracted. He knew she didn't have to work tonight, and he wanted to see her, or at least call her, but he didn't. He kept his word to Daniel.

Shortly before closing, Tiffany, the fangbanger he had sex with earlier entered the bar with a group of fangbangers from the court. The women sat down at a table in front near the door. Eric was standing drinking a bottle of True Blood and talking to Daniel near the door to his office when Tiffany came up to him. His men tried to chase her away, but he stopped them. She embraced him tried to kiss him. He bent down and said something in her ear. Together they went into his office and had sex again. This time, he undressed her and took his time. He hoped the sex would drive all thoughts of Katy out of his mind. It didn't, not even close.

Sitting at their table in the front with a good view of Eric and Tiffany, the girls watched as he said something to her and then walked back to his office with her. They were all jealous of their friend. They wondered what she had that they didn't. One of them managed to get a picture of the two in what looked like an intimate embrace with her cellphone. The girls chattered to each other about their friend's good luck.

When Tiffany got back to the table, she had a smug look on her face. She was ecstatic as she regaled her friends with her two adventures with Eric Northman on the same night. She was convinced that he was in love with her. The fangbangers were jealous and envious of their friend. They all thought the same thing.

Katy had no reason to think Eric would call or stop by on Sunday night: he made no mention of doing so when he left before dawn that morning. Still, she hoped he would. She cleaned house and did laundry in the afternoon and ate a quick meal for dinner. By 8:30 pm when she didn't hear from him, she drove over to Mary Lebron's. By the time she got there, the kids were in bed, and Gene was out with the guys. The two women sat and watched the Tudors on Showtime.

Around midnight, Mary and Kate sat outside on the patio and nursing a beer. Katy wasn't much of a drinker, but the Sam Adams she was drinking tasted very good tonight. The night air was balmy, but comfortable. The smell of fall flowers hung heavy in the air. The two friends relaxed and talked about life in general and cheating men in particular. Mary suspected Gene was two timing her and wanted to talk about it. She also tried to get Katy to talk about the man who had slept over yesterday and kept her from attending her pool party, but Katy wouldn't say much. She felt foolish for hoping Eric would call. She knew once she started talking about him, she would only end up crying.

"It was no big deal! You always say I need a good fuck every now and then. That's all it was. I ran into this guy by accident. We hooked up for a couple of nights, and I'll probably never see him again." she insisted. Mary knew her friend better than she let on. She could hear the pain in Katy's voice, but she kept her mouth shut.

The picture of Eric and Tiffany showed up in the local newspaper's Page Six Gossip Column on Monday morning. Katy always read the paper thoroughly as she ate breakfast before going to work. When she saw the picture, her heart sank, and she felt sick to her stomach. She told herself she had no right to feel that way. _No promises, No commitments. You told him so yourself; remember?_

The rest of the week was busy for the clinic and Katy. She and her co-workers put in a lot of extra hours at the facility. Everyone pulled their weight, but the understaffed clinic was overwhelmed at times. It seemed all she did was get up; eat; go to work, come home; eat; shower and fall into bed dead tired.

Monday was a full moon and the clinic attended two patients who looked as if they had been torn up by some kind of large animal. They had bites marks all over their bodies, and it looked like part of their flesh had been eaten away. Both men came in unconscious, and both men expired without waking. Katy had never seen anything like the wounds on their throats. The clinic called the police to report the deaths. The bodies were taken away, and they never heard anymore about them.

On Tuesday a large pothole opened up suddenly on Route 23 and caused a ten car crackup. Five patients were brought to the clinic since it was the nearest medical facility to the accident. Katy and the other doctors worked through the night until after dawn. Three of the patients were treated and released. Two were stabilized and sent by ambulance to a larger hospital closer to New Orleans.

On Wednesday, an incident involving a shootout between the police and an armed robber in Oakville ended up in a small riot. Cars were overturned, windows were smashed and buildings were burned. From the clinic, they could hear the sounds of police cars, fire trucks and ambulances wailing all night. The riot went on until four in the morning. Again Katy and her co-workers were swamped with patients; she got home after seven in the morning and simply fell into bed.

Thursday night and Friday night were just as bad, both nights Katy worked well beyond her shift until well after dawn. Saturday morning, she arrived home after eight o'clock.

Every morning when she got home from work, she checked her telephone for messages, but there was nothing from Eric. She didn't remember if she had even given him her phone number. By Friday night, she concluded it didn't matter. Everyday another picture of the big blonde male hugging or kissing a different woman showed up in the paper. The women were all drop dead gorgeous, and he looked like he was certainly enjoying himself. She remembered how he tried to glamour her into forgetting him. No matter how intensely passionalte those two nights had been, clearly, Eric Northman was not interested in seeing her again.

On Saturday morning, Ralph Thompson, sat in a booth in Fangs II. He was drinking straight scotch and nursing his hatred for Katy Jones and Eric Northman who sat on the throne. For a man who professed to hate vampires, Ralph Thompson had no qualms about taking their blood. He was a V addict, and he wanted to score tonight. He called his usual dealer without any luck. He ended up in Fangs II because he thought a vampire bar was just the natural place to find V. He was sitting alone hating Katy and Eric and feeling sorry for himself when he noticed a pretty blonde woman sitting at the bar. She looked upset. He and got up and introduced himself.

"Can I buy a pretty girl a drink, or something else?" he asked. The girl had a beautiful face and a sexy body with big breasts that were obviously fake. Ralph felt his groin tighten. He was definitely a boob guy and her breasts were much bigger than the redheaded doctor he hated so much. Best of all, she looked like she had just lost her best friend. He knew sad women were easy, and he wanted easy tonight. _She'll do for a quick roll in the hay_. He thought.

All week Tiffany had tried to get close to Eric again, but had no luck. He went out to bars and nightclubs with a different woman every night, and she was green with jealousy. The papers were full of pictures of him, kissing and hugging these tramps. At the palace, every night when he wanted sex, Alan, Eric's secretary, made sure that it was someone other than her who was brought to the king's office. By now, the other fangbangers realized that Tiffany had lied to them about Eric's interest in her. They started to laugh about her behind her back; they recalled her stories and called her delusional and a liar. Now the other women had their own stories to tell. This all reminded her of being the unpopular, obese dork at school. She was furious, and she began to hate Eric and the other women.

She had tried once more in the bar to catch his interest, but had been promptly rejected by him. He told her to get away from him; it was clear he didn't want anything to do with her now. She was devastated, angry and embarrassed. This morning, she was down in the dumps, feeling sorry for herself and drinking heavily.

She turned and looked at the guy who had just spoken. He was tall, good looking with sandy hair and brown eyes. He looked like he knew the score. Although he was human, he looked like he could give her a good time. Tonight, she desperately needed some male attention to make her feel good about herself. She decided to go for it. "Why not? I'm Tiffany. What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Ralph. Why don't you come sit with me?" he answered. She shrugged and followed him to his table. Thirty minutes later, they left the bar and headed for his apartment in a five story building about ten minutes away. Ralph drove them both to his place. The two were all over each other, so they didn't see the red haired vamp in the corridor outside his apartment. The small, wiry male vamp had several photographs in his hands, and one of them dropped to the floor. In a flash, he was on Ralph; his fangs were bared, but he didn't strike. Tiffany picked up the photograph from the floor, turned on her heels and ran as fast as she could.

The vamp grabbed Ralph's face and forced him to look at him. Then he made Ralph look at the photo. The photographs were various pictures taken of Katy's table at the charity function two weeks ago. They showed Mary and Gene Lebron, Katy Jones and Ralph Thompson and two other couples that Ralph didn't know.

"Invite me in!" Peter Kenyon, the male vamp, demanded. Ralph opened his door and did as he was commanded. Once inside, the vamp asked him, "Who is the redheaded woman in the photographs?" From the tone of his voice, Ralph knew he had to answer, or he would die. He not only told the vamp Katy's name, but where she worked. He told him everything he knew about Katy Jones, including where she lived.

Once he got the information, Kenyon glamoured Ralph hard to make him forget he had ever met him. His first instinct had been to drain every drop of blood from Ralph's body, but his orders were not to kill anyone. He was disappointed, but he told himself._ I__t was a good night's work._

He wasn't worried about the blonde, he had seen her at the palace on Sunday night. That was the night he he came to register with the king. He would find her sooner or later, and she would be glamoured into forgetting him too. He pulled out his cellphone and made a call to his boss in California.

"I found Katy Dumont, Mr. Califano," he said. "I'll pick her up tomorrow night. We'll be in California by Monday morning the latest.

"Good work, Peter. Make sure she get's here alive, and don't kill anybody while you are there. I don't want you to call any attention to us." the vamp on the other end of the line answered.

Gaetano Califano was a very wealthy, five hundred year old vamp. When he was turned at the age of thirty five, he was a brawny, but still handsome, youngest son of a Venetian nobleman. He was adept at languages and was fluent in many by the time he was turned. Wit no wealth of his own, he became a soldier who worked as a mercenary for anyone who would pay his way. Even as a human, he was vicious, immoral and sadistic. After crossing his vampire regent one too many times, he left the old world on the run for the Americas. Since the late seventeen hundreds, he had lived in Mexico and what is now California. He passed himself off as a Spanish Grandee and later as a wealthy ranch owner and businessman.

Today he supposedly owned a large vineyard in Napa Valley. He did own a vineyard, but most of his fortune had been made from other less legal ventures like the human sex trade. Even though they had no idea they were transacting with a vampire for years, John Dumont, James Wakefield and Richard Wakefield had been three of his biggest clients. He was the one who set up the sex tours; the tours were only one of his many offerings for humans addicted to sex of any sort. The humans had never met him; most of their dealings were done through intermediaries.

Now his business was being threatened by a human woman named Katy Dumont. She was a doctor who had been married to Richard Wakefield. He learned through his informants that she had a lot of evidence and planned to testify in court. She was in the Witness Protection Program now along with her aunt.

Even though the evidence would not lead to him, the money that flowed in from the services he provided would be curtailed. He wanted Katy Dumont and her aunt dead. If he could, he would have had Peter Kenyon kill her as soon as he was found her, but he wasn't sure how much her aunt, Mathilda Rothschild, knew about his operation. He intended to find out by torture, if necessary.

The Wakefields had looked for her for two and a half years. They were total incompetents. They had promised his intermediaries that they had everything under control, but they were wrong. The feds were all over the case now even if it had been off the news for years. The Wakefields had found her several times only to lose her before they could get to her.

Califano decided to take matters into his own hands. It was only by chance that a picture of her had shown up on the internet. A relative of one of his human minions attended the function and emailed pictures to his cousin who recognized her and brought the picture to him. He sent his best operative, Peter Kenyon, to New Orleans to find her and bring her back to California. Peter was good. It took him only three days.

On Saturday night, Katy pushed all thoughts of Eric aside. Mary and Gene had invited her out with some friends to the only karaoke bar south of Oakville. She was tired of being alone so she agreed. Katy drove her own car and was a little late. When she finally got there, she was was introduced to two new male friends of the Gene and Mary; these were the same guys, Mary wanted to introduce her to last week. She knew right away that neither man was her type. Still they were fun to be with; both were good dancers and one taught her how to play pool.

The bar was filled with both humans and vamps. Katy was dressed in a blue tube top and low rider white jeans and sandals. A few inches of creamy pale skin showed between the top of the jeans and the bottom of her tube top. To most men, Katy was a beautiful woman, but tonight, still showing the effects of Eric's blood, she seemed even more so. If she looked good to the human males, she was downright irresistible to the vamps in the bar. They could not take their eyes off her.

She had a good time, drinking, dancing and playing pool with the guys at her table. One of the men did a great quick step, and Katy danced with him several times. She enjoyed the movements of the dance as he took her hand, twirled and spun her in time to the music. She was laughing and happy and was slightly high when she and Mary got up on the stage and did a rendition of Billy Craddock's song, "Rub it In" to the karaoke machine.

"Lie beside me on the sand. Put some lotion in your hand.

Come on and make me feel nice and kiss me once or twice.

Say you love me again.

Then rub it in; rub it in;. rub it in; rub it in.

I feel the tingle begin. You're getting under my skin, rub it in, rub it in.

Mmm feels good...Put a little on my left shoulder, yeah, put a little right here, yeah...

Turn your radio on and find a slow grooving song.

Baby whisper in my ear, Say the things I want to hear.

Make me know you love is strong..."

The two women sang and mimed to the song touching the different parts of their bodies in order as it was mentioned in the song. They were both decent singers and even better dancers. In their way, their movements were more erotic and sexy than most professional strippers. Men, women and vamps in the bar cheered and whistled loudly as they sang along and mimed too.

The song was nearly over when Dallas Lebron, a young cousin of Gene's, got up and began to dance with Katy. He was about twenty two with black curly hair, blue eyes and a body most young girls couldn't keep their hands off. Putting one well muscled thigh in between Katy's thighs, he began to do a dirty dance with her. Their hips and bodies swayed back and forth in natural rhythm with the fast paced music. Katy let him lead her, but she made sure they never touched each other anywhere. If anything, the small distance between them made the dance seem even sexier.

At the end of the song, Dallas whispered in her ear suggesting that they leave together. He was definitely hoping for something more. Katy was a little drunk, but she had no intention of leaving and ending up in bed with him. She gently laughed him off. _I don't need anymore problems like this,_ she told herself. The young man took it well and didn't try to force the issue. He focuses his attention on a younger more willing female.

No one noticed the small, wiry, red haired male vamp staring at Katy all night. He had entered the bar immediately after she did and sat down in a corner booth. He watched her intently for several hours. She excited him. He could tell she had recently taken vampire blood, but he had a job to do. Still a little fun before he turned her over to Califano would suit him just fine.

They also didn't notice as a certain tall blonde vampire walk in with a small retinue of vamps. He had been notified, shortly after Katy got to the bar, by Daniel that she was being followed by the male vamp who introduced himself at court last Sunday as Peter Kenyon. When Eric arrived, he went upstairs with Daniel. The other vamps stayed downstairs and ordered True Blood. They watched Peter Kenyon, but they watched Katy too.

Sitting in the manager's office that had a two way mirror that allowed him to see everything that was going on downstairs, Eric watched Katy and her friends at their table near the stage. She was definitely having a good time dancing and playing pool. He hissed when he saw a human male bend over her and show her how to guide the pool stick; it looked like an embrace. He got angry when he saw her do the quick step with a human male. He hated seeing how well they moved together in time to the music. He hated seeing the man take her hand and hold her close while they danced. Watching the man's hand casually slide across her back during the turns enraged him. He was almost incandescent with jealousy and envy.

He growled low in his throat when Katy and Marie started to sing and dance to "Rub It In," Eric's fangs ran out as he became aroused. When she started to dirty dance with Dallas Lebron, he jumped out of his chair as a guttural snarl erupted from his throat. His fists curled into tight balls. He was in a deep jealous rage, and he was tempted to rip the young man's throat out.

The inconsistency of his actions for the past week didn't occur to him. The fact that he decided to stay away from her until he found out more about her didn't matter to him in the least. The fact that he had been screwing fangbangers at court all week didn't count either. He rationalized that he was only trying to get Katy out of his mind,so if anything, it was her fault. As far as he was concerned, Katy was his human; she had no right to let another man touch her. She had no right to dance in that suggestive manner with another man. The only male she should ever touch was him.

"Easy, Eric. Easy!" Daniel tried to calm him down, but it wasn't working.

At that moment, Katy decided to leave. She got up, hugged Mary, said good bye to everyone and walked toward the back door with her purse and car keys in her hand. Peter Kenyon, started after her. She didn't know what was happening when he grabbed her just inside the back door. He put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming and pushed open the door. Katy tried to fight, but her efforts were completely futile. No human inside the bar knew anything odd was happening just outside.

When he saw Kenyon follow her, Eric was out of the office like a shot. Before the vamp knew what as happening, a large hand grabbed him from the back and slammed him up against the side of the bar. Eric's bared fangs were inches from his throat. Peter Kenyon knew he didn't stand a chance with the big viking vampire, so he put both hands up signaling surrender.

As Eric pulled Kenyon off her, Katy lost her balance, stumbled and pitched forward face first on the ground. The fall knocked the wind out of her. When she turned to find out what was happening, she was shocked to see Eric with other vamps right behind him. Eric's face was red with rage; he was holding the vamp who attacked her in his powerful grip. He looked like he wanted to kill him.

"Bring them! Bring them both!" he ordered Daniel as he shoved Kenyon toward him. He flew off into the night sky.


	11. Chapter 11

Many thanks to all of you for reading my story. Special thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write reviews. They are always appreciated.

I want to give fair warning to all. This chapter is a tough one for both Eric and Katy. Katy's secrets and Eric's arrogance have a terrible impact on

their developing relationship.

Dark Desire – Chapter 11

An hour later, Katy stood at the window of a large bedroom in a house in New Orleans. House was the wrong word; it was actually a mansion. It was slightly bigger than the home she grew up in, but smaller than the Wakefield mansion back home. From her vantage point, she overlooked the back of the house. She could see a large outdoor swimming pool on one side. On the other side, there was a large free standing garage that looked capable of housing 10 or more cars. The area was well lit and she could see a large parking area that was filled with cars, SUVs and two delivery trucks. Vamps and humans were milling around talking and gesturing excitedly, but she couldn't hear what was being said.

She looked around the room. Who ever decorated this place was heavy into the French Provincial period and was definitely female. The room was filled with expensive furniture, but it reminded Katy of a bordello. The walls were painted burgundy with heavy gold draperies on the windows; the plush carpet was almost the same color.

The heavy, expensive, ornate furniture was white with gold trim. Feminine chairs covered with burgundy and gold velvet were scattered throughout the room, and lamps with gold fringes decorated the night stands beside the huge bed. Above the bed was a large mirror. Explicit sexual paintings hung over the bed and around the room. Katy had a background in art herself. The paintings were good and they old; they looked like they were done by some of the old masters, but she didn't recognize the names.

All effects of the alcohol she had consumed earlier were gone; Katy was totally sober now, and she was terrified. She believed the vamp that had tried to attack her was probably working for the Wakefields or one of the other men who were trying to find her. She wanted to call her handler, Gwen Jameson, but the vamps had taken her cellphone. She wondered why Eric had his vamps bring her to this place; she also wondered if he was somehow involved with her pursuers. A soft knock on the door startled her. The door opened and a face from her past peeked around the door.

"Judith! Judith Vardamon! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"How are you Emily, or should I say Katy?" the small dark haired vamp asked as she came into the room and stood in front of the tall redhead. The two stood there for a minute.

"It's Katy. Why did Eric bring me here? Can you tell me what's going on? I need to get out of here. Can you help me?" Judith didn't have to be an empath to know Katy was frightened. She could smell her fear.

"He's trying to protect you. That vamp tried to grab you. Do you know why?"

Katy said nothing. She wondered if Judith was involved in this mess too.

Judith looked straight into Katy's eyes and tried to glamour her. In a seductive voice, she said, "Eric and his men are trying to find out right now what that vamp, Peter Kenyon, wanted, but he's not cooperating. It would help if you told me what was going on, Katy. I know you're scared now, but you don't have to be. Tell me now."

Katy gave a disgusted snort. "That won't work on me, Judith. I already proved to Eric that I can't be glamoured. I am a null."

"Hmmm. Yes, Eric told me that, but I wanted to find out for myself. Are you hungry?"

In response, Katy's stomach made a gurgling sound. She nodded. Judith went to an intercom on the wall and ordered some food, coffee and a bottle of True Blood for herself. The two women moved to larger table in front on one of the other windows to wait.

"Where am I? What is this place?" Katy asked.

"You're in Eric's bedroom. He is the Vampire King of Louisiana, and this is his palace. I've never been in here before. It looks like he hasn't done anything to the room. It still looks like Sophie-Anne lives here." Judith said drily.

"Vampire King? What the hell are you talking about?" Katy demanded. She was about to say more when a human woman in a maid's uniform walked through the open doorway with a tray of food. She set the food down on the table and asked, "Will that be all, Ms Vardamon?" Judith nodded and waived her away. Katy proceeded to eat, and Judith drank thesynthetic blood. She hated True Blood and grimaced. When she was finished eating, Katy said again. "Please, tell me what's going on, Judith."

In a few words, Judith explained the situation. Eric had people watching her, and they discovered Peter Kenyon was following her. There were some other humans asking questions about her too. "You need to tell us what is going on. Why are people looking for you?"

The information shook Katy, but she told Judith her story as briefly as she could. Then she peppered the vamp with her own questions. "I don't understand. Why would Eric assign people to watch me? He has no right to do that?" She was angry and made no bones about it.

"He loves you, you silly human woman. The point is, do you love him?"

"What? No! You are wrong. Eric Northman is not interested in me. Last time we were together, he made it clear that I should not get too attached to him. I haven't heard from him in a week and I've seen the pictures of him and those other women. He was practically screwing them all in front of the camera." Katy's voice was raised. She spat the words out.

Judith sighed. She not only saw the pictures, she and James had accompanied Eric on several of those outings. She had been at court several times when he was serviced by one of the fangbangers who hung around court. She had been disgusted by his behavior, especially after all the fuss he made about finding Katy.

"What the hell is wrong with that crazy fool?" she had asked Daniel. Daniel merely shrugged, but then he was a vampire male and didn't see anything wrong with his boss' behavior. Besides, once a cop, always a cop: Katy was a suspicious character in his book. He definitely didn't like the fact that she was lying about who she was, and he didn't trust her. _Men!_ Judith sighed.

Still Judith's empathic senses were swamped with Eric's feelings whenever Katy's name was mentioned. She knew the old vampire's feelings about the redhead were as strong as anything he had ever felt about Sookie, and probably stronger. The poor old fool was in love with another human, and he didn't like it one bit, but he couldn't help himself. He had been acting like a jerk all week trying to prove those feelings wrong. _Men!_ She sighed again.

"Trust me on this, Katy. Eric Northman doesn't like humans very much. Like most vamps, he thinks humans are inferior, but twice now in less than two years, he's fallen in love with a human woman. He can't believe it himself. He was hurt by the first one when she dumped him for another vampire. He doesn't want to be hurt again. He doesn't want to care for you, and he doesn't trust you, but he can't stop thinking about you. I don't know what you did to him, but you are driving him positively crazy."

"How do you know that? Anyway, thanks a bunch for letting me know Eric things I am inferior." Katy said

"I didn't say he thought you were inferior, just humans in general. I know how Eric feels because I was around when Sookie dumped him. I was in love with the vamp Sookie left him for. His name is Bill Compton. He and Sookie are married now. Do you know them?"

"No, but I don't understand. I thought you loved Doc. I was sure you loved Doc."

"I did love Doc, we were married for thirty five years. But I have known Bill for a very long time. Much longer than I knew Doc. He and I are siblings and I have always loved him."

Katy had a confused and slightly disgusted look on her face. "Bill is your brother and you were in love with him?" she asked.

Judith smiled patiently. "Being vampire siblings only means we were both turned by the same vampire. Lorena turned Bill in 1870 and me in 1902. I loved Bill since then, but we had to separate. It's a long story. I'll tell you sometime, if you are interested."

Katy nodded her head. "Are you still in love with Bill?" she asked.

"I will always love him in my way, and he loves me in his. But I know he loves Sookie more. I am happy for him and Sookie. I've moved on with my life. I am interested in someone else now. Enough said about me. Answer my question. Do you love Eric?"

Katy's head hung down and tears rolled down her face. Her voice sounded desperate and broken. "Yes. I've known him only two weeks and I love him. It doesn't make any sense, but I do! He drives me crazy. Sometimes I think he cares about me, but then he can't wait to get rid of me. He's like two different people. Those pictures just killed me. It just kills me to see him with another woman!"

"Then tell him so, but tell him the truth about yourself first." Judith finished her True Blood and left.

Katy had liked Judith when she first met her. She liked her now. She believed the small vamp. She planned to do exactly what Judith said, but she never got the chance.

Less than five minutes after Judith left, Katy was still sitting at the table sipping coffee. Eric slammed the door open; it made a big crashing sound as it hit against the wall. His eyes were glittering with anger; he was still filled with jealous rage. He was in front of her in a split second and hauled her up to stand in front of him.

He had spent the last 30 minutes with Peter Kenyon and Daniel in the basement. They were torturing the small redheaded vamp to get information from him. "You dare put your hands on my human?" Eric raged at him.

Kenyon laughed nastily and bared his fangs. "Your human? You mean Katy Dumont, that whore who was letting those men paw her? What's the matter, Northman, can't you keep her satisfied?" Eric's fist connected with the smaller vamp's jaw knocking out two teeth and a fang. Daniel was already on the internet searching the name Kathryn Dumont.

"Who are you working for?" Eric demanded. Kenyon was silent. Eric struck him again. It went on like that for twenty minutes before Kenyon barely managed to squeak out the name Gaetano Califano. Eric staked him; as far as he was concerned, Kenyon was a dead vamp from the moment he put his hands on Katy. The vamp's body began to dissolve into dust.

"Boss, look at this." Daniel said. Eric looked at the computer screen and read page after page. The whole sordid story of John Dumont, Richard Wakefield and James Wakefield was laid out in front of him. The story of Katy and Richard Wakefield was laid out too. Pictures of Katy, her mother and father and stories about their deaths were displayed all over.

Eric immediately recognized the tall, tanned young woman with the straight, long, golden blonde hair as Katy. She was younger and slightly heavier. Her face was a little different, but it was Katy all right. She was beautiful, but not as beautiful as she was now.

What interested Eric the most was the story of how Richard Wakefield and Tracy Coleman, Katy's best friend, had found her in bed another man on the day of his birthday. A man who had beat her senseless when she tried to stop him from leaving. A man who pleaded guilty to his crime and who was now in prison.

Eric believed he had been right about Katy from the first. She was a whore. She was a whore when she was married Richard Wakefield and she was a whore now. She acted like a whore in the bar tonight. She cheated on her husband and she cheated on him. He was consumed by anger, hurt and a sense of betrayal so strong that he wanted to destroy something, anything. His feelings were made worse because he knew now that he loved Katy. He wanted to hurt her the way she hurt him.

Now as he stood in front of her, his eyes glittered with a feral gleam; his fangs were fully extended, but not because of lust, but because of anger and hurt.

"You wanted to get fucked tonight, whore! Well, I'm going to fuck your brains out. When I am done, I'm going to throw you downstairs with the other fangbanging whores. I'll use you just like I use them. When I'm tired of you, I'll throw you out on your lying ass!" He snarled at her as he started dragging her toward the bed.

Katy was shocked beyond words. She was confused. She had no idea what he was talking about. She slapped at his hands and tried to get away, but in a flash she was down on the bed with him on top of her.

"Eric, don't do this. If you care anything about me at all, please don't do this!" she pleaded. She struggled, but her movements just excited him. She managed to claw his face with her nails and got in a good punch to his mouth. She split his lip and blood flew getting on her. He just laughed.

"Fight me, Katy. I like it when a woman fights!" he growled at her. He was lying; women never faught him, if anything, he had to fight them off, but the movements of her body as she bucked and struggled beneath him aroused him and made him hard. She could feel his erection thick and long against her stomach. She tried a different tactic; she went as limp as a rag doll thinking that would make him stop.

"Oh no you don't!" he said as he leaned in and tore off her tube top. His mouth and hands were all over her breasts and bare skin, touching, sucking and nipping like he was possessed. He was trying to arouse her and make her admit that she wanted him. She hated it, but she could feel herself responding.

"Eric, please stop! What did I do to deserve this?" She yelled trying to get through to him, but it had no effect. He was rough with her. Judith was wrong: he was not acting at all like a man who loved her. His actions showed that she meant nothing to him. She could sense his anger and his determination to hurt her. He didn't want to hurt her physically, but emotionally, and that was worse.

In his jealous rage, Eric wanted to prove to Katy that he did not care anything about her. He wanted to shame her; he wanted to embarrass her. He wanted to objectify her; to force her into submission; to prove to her, that no matter what she said, he could make her want to have sex with him anytime he wanted.

Katy had wanted Eric from the first night she met him, but she definitely didn't want this. She was angry and she was terrified of the being on top of her now. She tried to fight him again, but he was too strong, and she was too weak to do anything, but struggle futilely.

He pushed himself up on his arms and loomed over her with a disgusted look on his face. "Pagh! You smell of those men! Go take a shower and wash that stink off of you!" he said arrogantly, but looking down at her face, he could see complete confusion, hurt, fear and terror in her eyes. He was shaken by that.

His anger, jealousy and rage began to dissipate quickly. He had wanted to hurt her, but now that he had, he hated seeing the pain he caused in her eyes. She was afraid of him now; that knowledge smashed into his consciousness like a sledge hammer. Her beautiful eyes that once glowed with deep emotion for him, now glistened with tears of helplessness and a sense of betrayal as she fought him. He knew this wasn't what he wanted at all. Suddenly, his body sagged. He felt ashamed and moved off to the side, but his arms still held her tight; he didn't want to let her go.

Katy was infuriated by Eric's arrogance and his actions tonight. "Unless you plan to rape me tonight, Eric, let me go!" she said hoarsely; she was panting from exertion. She could feel she was on the brink of tears, but she held them back. She was determined not to cry in front of him. Her heart was heavy and so full of pain that she thought it would break right there. _I won't cry, I won't cry! I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry! _She told herself. She did not want him to know just how much he hurt her.

Eric said nothing, and he didn't move. He was too shocked by his own behavior. A knock sounded at the door and he got up and answered it. Katy could hear Daniel talking. The two of them walked away down the hall. Daniel had found out something he wanted Eric to know. He sounded upset and asked Eric to go to his office and turn on his computer.

Waiting for a few seconds, Katy padded to the door and looked out. There was no one in the hall. She grabbed a shirt from Eric's closet and put it on over her exposed breasts. Grabbing her purse, she slipped out the door and down the hall. Slowly and stealthily she made her way around the unfamiliar house until she found a servant's stairway in the back. The door at the bottom of the stairs led to the kitchen and to a delivery door in back.

No one was around, so she slipped out the door into the back of a delivery truck and closed the door gently. The truck was idling, so she figured there was a good chance that the driver planned to leave soon. She hid behind a couple of large hampers filled with dirty linens from the palace. A minute later, the truck began to move.

Ten minutes later, the truck made another stop. Katy stayed hidden as the driver pulled some fresh linens from the back of the truck and moved away. As soon as she felt the coast was clear, Katy slipped out and ran down the city street into a bar. She asked the bartender if she could use his phone. She told him it was a local call and she would pay. When she hauled out a twenty from her purse, he gave her the phone from the bar. She dialed a number from memory.

"Gwen, I'm in trouble. Please come and get me." she gave her WitSec handler the name and address of the bar and waited. Within ten minutes, Gwen Jameson and three other federal marshals were there. By the time Gwen arrived, Katy was sobbing and shaking so hard she couldn't stop. She almost cried out in relief as she got into the back of the black sedan.

Back at the palace, Eric finished his conversation with Daniel. His Second in Command had done his homework on the name Gaetano Califano. He called a few friends in law enforcement in California including another vamp who was turned about the same time he was. What he found out about the California vampire really shook him; this vamp was bad, bad news. It spelled big trouble for them all. He informed Eric of everything he found out.

In his office, Eric called Bill in Bon Temps and instructed him to go to Wakefield Cove as soon as he could. He wanted him to find out all he could about Katy Dumont, Richard and James Wakefield and Katy's parents. Daniel was assigned the task of going to Napa Valley to check out Califano. He made arrangements to leave the next evening with several of his vamp employees. Judith who had been sitting in the office, asked to go with him, but he refused. "It's too dangerous!" he told her.

Eric strode purposefully back to his bedroom. He was going to get some answers from Katy now. He would not brook anymore stalling. He would not let her get out of answering him this time. When he got to his bedroom, Katy was gone.

"Find her!" he thundered to his staff. The hunt for Katy Dumont was on again.


	12. Chapter 12

Dark Desire – Chapter 12

Five weeks after she escaped from Eric Northman, Katy stood under a large black umbrella in a crowded, old cemetery a few miles south west of Philadelphia. The cemetery had been used since Revolutionary times. The Rothschilds, a prominent family in the area for more than two hundred years, owned a large section of the graveyard. At least fifteen huge marble several mausoleums and many other graves held the remains of the Rothschild family. The cemetery was a landmark in the area and could only be used by people whose families still owned plots or mausoleums on the grounds.

It was late afternoon on Halloween and a light, cold rain drenched everything. A biting, bitterly cold wind made a mournful sighing as it blew through the trees. The branches were mostly bare and seemed misshapen now; the only leaves remaining were dry and yellow; the grass over the graves was brown and dead too. In the gray light, gargoyles and other sculptures adorning large Gothic tombstones and mausoleums reminded Kate of nightmares she used to have as a child, but it all seem fitting somehow; the cemetery was a barren, lonely place this time of year.

It was cold, raw day. An early snowfall had dusted the ground the night before, but the rain washed the snow away, and the ground was very muddy. Katy stood by herself in front of the elaborate granite tombstone that marked the resting places of Martin Rothschild and his wife, Mathilda Rothschild. Aunt Mattie had been dead for six months; she had developed Alzheimer's disease eighteen months ago and was gone a year later.

Katy had not been told about her aunt's death until two days ago, nor had she been told about her aunt's illness. The idea that the FBI and her Witness Protection handlers had kept that information from her made Katy furious. She met regularly with Gwen Jameson several times a month; not once had Gwen let on about her aunt's illness and her subsequent death. Katy only found out about it because she insisted on seeing her aunt.

Anger burned white hot in Katy's blood. A feeling of deep betrayal made her feel bitter and used. She had no one left to trust now; her faith and trust in Gwen and the FBI had been completely shattered. Of course, Gwen claimed that she knew nothing about her aunt's illness and death until the day Katy insisted on seeing her. She made it seem like she was checking on her aunt for Katy then told her the bad news. From the very first, Katy knew she was lying. The guilty look in Gwen's eyes gave her away.

"I have put my life on hold for two and a half years while the FBI tried to get it's act together. I was told it wouldn't take more than six moths to bring Richard, his father and the others to trial, but right now it looks like that will never happen. I had to beg you to protect my aunt, and you only agreed to do so if I was a "good girl" and played along with you. You wouldn't let me see her. You wouldn't let me call her. You wouldn't even let me know where she was. She died all alone. I should have been with her. I will never forgive you for that!"

"I am sick of the delays. Someone knew my aunt was ill. Someone knew my aunt was dead. As far as I am concerned, you guys have lied to me for the last two years. You and the FBI can go fuck yourselves, Gwen! I'm leaving the program, and I am not testifying. I don't know anything about those other men, and I want to live a normal life." she declared bitterly.

"If you leave the program, we will charge you as an accessory to the crimes. You will go to jail yourself for a very long time, or we could just forget you in the system, and you will never see the light of day for a long time. You knew what was happening, but you did nothing for six months. We need your testimony, Katy. You will stay in Witness Protection until the trial, or else! Besides, if you leave now, they will still come after you, and we won't be there to protect you." Gwen retorted.

"You can't do that! I had nothing to do with that and you know it."

"Try me. This case is too important. If I lose you as a witness, my career is toast. Our case depends on the evidence you gave us. We've come too far to lose you now. Even if you don't go to jail, we will make your life miserable from now until the day you die. Oh, if you quit now, you can forget your parent's estate, we will confiscate every penny since it was used in the commission of a crime." The woman Katy had trusted with her life for the past three months just proved herself to be an unmitigated bitch. She wondered how she could have been such a fool. She had actually liked Gwen before today.

Katy didn't give a damn about her parent's estate, she had a large trust fund and and an even larger inheritance from her maternal grandmother. She had moved most of the money to Switzerland and the Grand Caymans to keep it away from the Wakefields. The FBI could not get their hands on it.

She knew the reason the FBI lied to her. They they were afraid she wouldn't testify for them if she knew her aunt was dead. Using her aunt's safety as leverage to pressure her, Katy agreed to do what ever they wanted. After learning of their betrayal, Katy was determined to leave, but she had to play along with them until she could get away from Gwen Jameson and the three other federal agents that were ever present with her now.

Katy had other reasons for wanting to escape from the feds. She had been on the move constantly since Gwen picked her up in New Orleans. She had been moved to a safe house in an apartment building just outside the city. Two days later, under a hail of gunfire, Katy, Gwen and two other federal marshals just barely escaped four very large looking men with guns. A third marshal had been shot and badly injured as they all helped Katy escape.

She had been moved to different safe houses throughout Louisiana and Texas. She never spent more than two nights in anyone place. The feds didn't want her anywhere near California until the trial. Gwen stayed with her, but the other agents changed. There were two more very close calls over the last five weeks, but they never involved actual gun play. Katy was terrified by now.

Katy wasn't a fool; she knew that either the feds were incompetent, or there was an informant who was willing to sell her out. Three attempts to kill her in the space of three weeks was not just a coincidence. Someone was letting the men who pursued her know where she was. About a week ago, she discovered Gwen talking suspiciously on the phone to someone. Katy began to think Gwen was the informant, and that terrified her even more.

The day that she found out about her aunt's death, Katy also found out that Richard and his father-in-law had been killed in a car accident less than two weeks after she went into hiding again. The feds had managed to keep their deaths out of the news for three weeks before it hit the newspapers and TV. The papers were once again filled with all the sordid details. Cable TV programs covered the deaths of her parents and her alleged adultery with Dan Tolbert. By this time, Katy's nerves were frazzled by anxiety and fear. She gagged on her betrayal by the FBI. She felt as if her life was spinning out of control with no end in sight.

After the first incident with the gunmen, Katy had not felt safe once since she left the palace. Sometimes she wished she had stayed with Eric. Whether he he loved her or not; whether he thought she was a whore or not, at least she felt reasonably safe with him. She now believed she could have managed to stay for a couple of days until she could figure out something to do.

She no longer believed Eric cared anything about her; she believed he wanted her only for sex and blood like the "fangbanging whores" he spoke about. The thought that he could use her like that made her feel numb and dried up like an old prune. She felt foolish because she still loved him in spite of everything.

She still did not understand what happened that night; his actions and his words hurt her badly. Still, she did not believe he would allow anyone to physically harm her. She should have stayed just long enough to contact other friends that could help her. Standing there, Katy was glad that she never mentioned a word about Eric Northman to Gwen.

Grief for her aunt overwhelmed her as she stood and prayed over the grave. Hatred for the FBI coursed through her as strong as the hatred she had felt for Richard and his father. She had been used and betrayed by them as surely as she had been used and betrayed by her ex-husband and her father. The only reason, she was here right now, is that she had threatened to walk out on them if they didn't let her pay respects at her aunt's grave. She asked to be left alone for ten minutes.

Gwen Jameson and the three other federal agents stood about fifteen feet way. Their view of her was blocked by one of the many mausoleums near her aunt's grave. Katy took a careful look around; none of the federal marshals were in sight. She whispered, "Aunt Mattie, I wish I could stay, but I have to go now," before she carefully and quietly slipped away. The four feds were so confident and sure of her, they were talking and laughing among themselves. They didn't notice that she was gone for at least ten more minutes. Just inside the cemetery gates, she spotted two young guys who worked in the cemetery and who were just coming off their shifts. They were sitting in an old pick up truck talking when she asked them for a ride. They drove her to the New Jersey Turnpike.

At the rest stop just before Exit 3 on the New Jersey Turnpike, Kate used an ATM card and got $500 in cash from a bank account she had set up in another name just before she went into Witness Protection. She purchased a baseball cap, three t-shirts, shower shoes, two pairs of shorts, a small canvas travel bag and a few toiletries and personal items from the rest stop's gift shop. The gift shop was expensive, but she had no choice. After stowing everything in the small travel bag, she sat down to eat a hamburger and fries. She was hungry as she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before.

Walking outside to where the large trucks were parked, Katy took a long hard look at the truck drivers she saw there. With her heart in her throat, she finally made a choice. Carrying her purse and her small travel bag, she picked up a ride with a aging trucker heading to Nashville, Tennessee. It was a good pick; the trucker was a big, barrel chested, gray haired man with friendly eyes. In his southern drawl, he nicely warned her of the dangers of hitchhiking.

Sam Johnston, the trucker, had picked up many hitchhikers during his long career as a trucker. He liked to help people who were down and out. There was something about Katy that made him feel really bad. She was obviously a lady, but she was also so obviously in trouble. He felt sorry for the tall, skinny redhead who looked so sad and down on her luck.

He spent the time regaling her with tales of his wife and grandchildren. They stopped and and got separate rooms at a motel along the interstate. Katy was pleasantly surprised when she was able to pay upfront in cash and didn't have to produce a credit card. She definitely did not want to leave a paper trail of her whereabouts. After eating junk food from the room's snack bar, she showered and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, Sam Johnston knocked on Katy's door to let he know he was ready to leave. They both grabbed some coffee and donuts at the free breakfast bar provide by the small motel. After that they spent the rest of the time singing duets with the radio. Katy liked the trucker and felt comfortable with him.

Sam dropped her off at another small motel close to I-40 in Nashville and turned off the highway himself. He wished her good luck before he drove away. Again Katy was able to pay for her room in she went to her room, she used an ATM machine in a bank across the parking lot from the the motel and withdrew another $500.

The next morning, in a nearby restaurant frequented by travelers, Katy met a young married couple heading west to Dallas, Texas. Both of them graduated from college in North Carolina only months before and were moving back home where the husband had lined up a job. The kids were great company and kept her laughing at their jokes. They didn't have much money, so Katy paid for gas and bought them both lunch. She a took her turn driving so the they could both get some rest in the back seat.

When their car broke down outside of Carlisle, Arkansas, they dropped her off at another small motel just off the highway. Katy kissed them both on the cheek and wished them a long and happy married life before she checked in for two nights. It was only mid afternoon, but the elderly motel attendant was so absorbed with the TV program she was watching, she barely looked at Katy as she signed the register. The attendant had no problems taking cash and didn't ask for a credit card either.

Katy knew she couldn't stay at the motel; her pursuers or the feds would eventually find her there. Just before four o'clock that afternoon, Katy dialed the telephone number for Judith Vardamon's investment company and left a message with her secretary.

"This is Emily Canton. Please have Ms. Vardamon call me back as soon as possible. I have information on a mutual friend. The matter is urgent!" she said and left the telephone number of a disposable cellphone she had picked up in New Jersey. Katy was afraid to use her own name since it had recently been on the news. She hoped Judith would put two and two together. Pushing her hair up under her baseball cap and putting on her dark sunglasses, she went over to the McDonalds next door to buy some takeout.

Back in her room, she sat down at the small table near the window and ate her hamburger and fries and and drank a cup of bitter coffee. Then she waited until nightfall As she waited, she watched TV and paced the floor, but she never left the room. Finally, she lay across the bed. She was mentally and physically exhausted from her ordeal of the last five and a half weeks. She began to sob and shake uncontrollably and as tears streamed down her face. She didn't know if she had done the right thing calling Judith, but for right now, she couldn't think of anyone else to call. She lay awake on the bed looking at the ceiling and praying for sundown to come.

In New Orleans, using his vampire subjects and human employees, Eric Northman began what was eventually to become a nationwide search for Katy on the night she left the palace. Over five weeks days later, there was still no sign of Katy to be found anywhere. It was as if the earth had opened up and swallowed her whole.

Through it all, Eric blamed himself for the fact that Katy ran. He berated himself for the way he treated her that night. Daniel and Judith were the only two who knew some of what happened in his bedroom. He had told them later that night in his office while discussing what to do. He didn't try to justify himself, and he didn't go through all the details, but he did admit that, in his jealousy and anger, he had terrified her. That was quite an unusual admission for the viking vamp.

Less than an hour after Katy escaped from the palace, Judith had relayed some of the facts of their earlier conversation to Eric and Daniel as the three discussed the information they had garnered about Kathryn Dumont from the internet. The data they had uncovered about Katy Dumont did not mention the fact that she was in the Witness Protection Program. That fact had been supplied by Judith as a result of her talk with Katy. Nonetheless, Daniel had suspected as much because he recognized many of the names of the other suspects involved in the case. There were some powerful men including a well known gangster on the list.

Judith also informed them that Katy's aunt was also in the Witness Program, and the FBI was using her aunt as leverage against her. Katy was terrified that the FBI would kick her aunt out of the program and leave her unprotected. They would not tell her where her aunt was. Eric cursed when he heard that. This explained a lot about Katy's secretive behavior.

Eric knew Katy was in danger and that made his imagination run wild with fear that she would be captured and killed. His fear for her just magnified his need to find her and keep her safe. He didn't say so, but both of them knew he regretted his actions earlier that night. Daniel and Judith both knew he was worried sick about Katy.

Still, Judith couldn't resist, "You are such an idiot, Northman. Just when I start to think you are okay, you go and do something so stupid that you drove her away. That woman loves you, and if she dies, it will be your fault." she angrily told him.

Hearing Judith say Katy loved him, made Eric feel even guiltier and more desperate to find her before something happened. The small vamp's biting words really hit home. Eric didn't like that one bit. "How do you know what Katy feels about me?" he hissed.

"Because I asked her earlier tonight, you idiot. She told me she loved you, and I know she was telling the truth, even if I can't read her emotions. She was going to tell you how she felt tonight; I am sure of that. Now look what you've done!"

"Can't you make your woman keep her mouth shut?" Eric snarled at Daniel.

Daniel started to say something to Judith, but she was quicker. "I'd like to see himl try. I'll kick his ass if he does." she snarled back at Eric. She was wasn't much of a fighter. She was much smaller than Daniel Brady, but she was older and stronger than he. They all knew she could do it.

"Take it easy, babe. I'm not going to do anything foolish." Daniel smiled at her and patted her hand patronizingly. Judith just snorted in disgust, but she smiled back. She didn't know why, but she really dug this hoped their relationship would last.

Daniel left for California on an Anubis plane the next day. While in California investigating Califano, he met a friend, Darryl Kane at a small bar in Los Angeles. Kane had been Daniel's partner while he worked with the FBI. The two hadn't met in years and spent a lot of time catching up with each other.

The conversation was friendly and chatty until Daniel mentioned the name Kathryn Dumont. Kane closed up tighter than a clam. That didn't surprise Daniel, but he hoped he could get more information about her from an old friend. No, such luck.

After having a True Blood while Darryl downed a scotch, the two men walked out to the parking lot. Although he didn't like to glamour a friend, outside the bar, Daniel glamoured Darryl who confirmed that Katy was in the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately, her files were not available to ordinary agents, and Darryl had no information on her whereabouts.

He did let Daniel know that the Wakefield case was big and that the FBI had been after James Wakefield for years without success. Without elaborating, he said that there were some other very nasty characters after Katy besides the Wakefields, and that she was in a lot of danger. The FBI would consider it a major success if Katy ever made it to court to testify. They were not sure they could keep her safe. Daniel relayed the whole conversation with Darryl Kane to Eric while driving to Napa Valley. That made Eric worry even more.

Bill had much better luck in Wakefield Cove, although he too uses his glamour. People in the small town seemed to want nothing more than to talk about Katy, her father, her ex-husband and his father, but Bill didn't want people to remember that someone was asking questions about Katy Dumont and the Wakefields. No one in Wakefield Cove believed the Wakefields anymore. Finding out that three of their most prominent citizens were sexual predators involved in the molestation and possible torture of kids shocked the small town to its core. Most were glad that John Dumont and Helen Dumont were dead.

Everyone now said that they always believed Katy's story from the beginning. The same people who whispered behind her back, shunned her and made her life so miserable that she left Wakefield Cove, now said, "Katy was a good doctor and such a wonderful person. She was so in love with Richard there was just no way a lady like her would cheat on him. We always knew that slut, Tracy Coleman, was out to steal Richard away from Katy. Too bad Katy didn't know what a slime bag Richard was, but isn't the wife always the last to know? "

No one believed Dan Tolbert's story that he was having an affair with Katy anymore, either. The fact that the overdue mortgage on his bar was conveniently paid off within two weeks after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Katy was known by almost everyone in town. "And just don't get us started on that slut, Tracy Coleman," they said. There were so many rumors about Katy's former best friend, that the woman would have had to have lived nine lives just to do half the stuff she was accused of doing.

One of the last people Bill talked to in Wakefield Cove was Dan Tolbert himself. He had served eighteen months for assault and battery and was living the good life at home now. Even though his bar wasn't doing well, Tolbert always seemed to have money. He gambled in Los Vegas and played the ponies. He drove a fast sports car and always covered himself with a lot of gold bling. Bill didn't like the man.

After being glamoured by Bill. Tolbert confirmed that he had taken money from the Wakefields to say that he had been having an affair with Katy and to confess to beating her. Tolbert disgusted Bill, so he ordered Tolbert to make a clumsy attempt to rob a bank in town using an unloaded gun. Tolbert did. He was caught. Dan Tolbert would go to jail for a long time for that, and that made Bill quite happy.

Bill returned to Bon Temps, but two other vamps Eric sent to California sought out both Wakefields. Through his vamp employees, Eric meted out justice to the two men who had tormented Katy and her aunt in such a terrible manner. Two weeks after Katy disappeared, James and Richard Wakefield were found dead in Richard's car. The men were returning from one of their special "trips" to Portland, Oregon, when Richard's car went out of control and crashed down the side of a large cliff into a ravine before it exploded. Both men were dead.

The car wasn't found for days until a search party looking for the missing men spotted the car in the ravine. Their bodies had been so badly burned, that the coroner had to use dental records to identify them. The coroner had no idea the men were already dead by the time the car went over the cliff. Before they were killed, they had been tortured for information, but were only able to give a few names of other men; they had no information of value. Their bodies had been completely drained of blood.

In Napa, it was only through the use of glamour that Daniel was able to pursue his investigation of Gaetano Califano without arousing suspicion. By the time he returned to New Orleans a week later, his skills as a top notch detective had confirmed that Califano was the king pin behind the sex tour trade in California. Danial had built quite a dossier on the vamp, his illegal activities and his minions. Califano was extremely dangerous, and he was also well protected. His mansion was a virtual fortress, and his guard were all old vampire warriors.

Eric was determined to destroy Califano for his attempt to kidnap Katy. He, Daniel and Bill all agreed, there was no way that Califano could be successfully attacked on his home grounds. Somehow the vamp kingpin had to be lured out and killed quietly with no evidence linking Eric or his subjects to the killing. If that couldn't be done, then evidence against Califano had to be turned over to the regional Magister. Now that the sex scandal was in the news, anything that linked the ring of pedophiles to vampires would be swiftly dealt with, and any vamps caught up in the mess would be executed vampire style by the Magister.

Over the next four weeks, Eric's vamps began to locate Califano's men and kill them one by one. They all disappeared very mysteriously with no trace. Their boss had no idea what happened to his vamps; he began to wonder if another vamp was trying to move in on his territory.

In early November, Judith arose one night to find a message on her cellphone from her secretary. A woman named Emily Canton had called and asked her to call back. Her secretary carefully repeated the message and the cellphone number of the caller. Judith was surprised and elated when she listen to the message. She recognized the name immediately.

She was staying with Bill and Sookie in Bon Temps for a couple of days. The three of them were scheduled to meet Eric Northman at Fangtasia for their regular monthly meeting to discuss their mutual business interests. Without delay, she called Eric at his home in Shreveport.

"Eric, Katy called and left a message for me to call back. Get over to Bill's fast if you want to be here when I call her back," she told the astonished Vampire King of Lousiana.

Eric was dressed and standing on Bill's front porch in less than twenty minutes.

Before she made the call, Judith asked everyone to keep quiet no matter what was said. When Eric demanded that he be allowed to talk to Katy, Judith reminded him if Katy had wanted to speak to him, she would have tried to contact him, instead of her. He winced at that remark as it hit home.

"Let me find out what she wants, and don't say anything. You may just scare her away again if you open your mouth!" she said. Eric was nonplussed, but he kept quiet.

When Judith dialed the number she was given, Eric recognized the familiar husky, female voice that answered. It was a voice he had longed to hear for weeks. "Oh Judith, I'm so glad you called back! I'm so sorry to bother you, but I didn't know who else to call..."

Judith, Eric, Bill and Sookie could all hear Katy on the other end of the phone. They could all hear the desperation, pain, fear and relief in her voice. The more she talked, the more Eric felt disgusted and ashamed of himself. A curious mixture of relief that she was found and new fears for her safety flooded through him. He started to tremble; unconsciously, his hands clenched and unclenched. It was all he could do to stop himself from snatching the phone away from Judith and pleading with Katy to let him come and get her; to let him protect her; to let him keep her safe.


	13. Chapter 13

Dark Desire – Chapter 13

Sitting in Bill Compton's living room with Eric, Bill and Sookie, Judith asked, "Where are you, Katy? Where have you been? Eric has been searching all over for you. He's been worried about you; we all have. Are you okay?"

From her motel room in Carlisle, Arkansas, Katy answered, "No, I am not okay. Judith, I need your help if you are willing. Doc told me once that you own several apartment buildings around Little Rock. If you have any empty apartments, I would like to rent one from you. I can pay top dollar. I need a place to stay for a couple of weeks where no one can find me. I need a place where I can be safe until I figure out what I am going to do."

"I don't understand. Aren't you with Witness Protection now? Can't they keep you safe?" Judith asked from her end of the phone.

With bitterness heavy in her voice, Katy said, "I was with them until a until a couple of days ago. I ran away from them. I don't feel safe with them anymore. I found out that they were lying and keeping things from me. My aunt died six months ago, and they never told me until two days ago. Those SOB's never even let me know she had been sick for a year. If I hadn't insisted on seeing her, I would never have known she was dead."

"What do you mean, you don't feel safe? Has anything happened to make you feel that way?" Judith anxiously asked her. Eric got up from his chair and moved over to sit beside Judith on the sofa. He leaned close to Judith, listening intently to Katy's words.

"I have been with Gwen Jameson, my handler and three other federal marshals ever since the night I left the palace. Three days later some men with guns found out where I was staying. They broke in the front door while my agents got me out the back door. The men fired on us and the marshals fired back. One of the marshals was hit in the chest in the shootout. I understand he survived, but just barely. You may have heard about it on the news, only it was reported as a drug bust gone bad."

The thought that Katy had been shot at infuriated Eric. It also terrified him on a gut deep level. A deep guttural snarl erupted from his throat as he tried to snatch the phone. He was going to order Katy to stay put was until he could get to her.

Judith correctly guessed his intentions and quickly turned aside so he couldn't grab the phone out of her hands. Sookie moved to his other side and took one of his hands in her own. She put her forefinger in front of her mouth signaling him to be quiet.

"What was that sound? Is someone with you? Is this a bad time to talk?" Katy asked, suddenly unsure of herself.

"No, it's okay. I just forgot to turn the TV set off when I dialed you. There, I just turned it off." Judith lied smoothly. She continued, "Yes, I did see that on the news. You didn't get hurt, did you?" She turned back toward Eric who was seething, but under control. He made no further moves to grab the phone.

Katy replied with a little laugh, "No, I didn't get hurt, but life sure takes on a different perspective when bullets are flying past your head." Then she got serious, "During the first three weeks, there were two other attempts to kill me too, but at least the men were stopped before any shots were fired. I have been moved to a new location every few days. Gwen claims its only an added precaution now, but I just don't think three attempts to kill me in three weeks was a just a coincidence. I think someone in the FBI or in Witness Protection Service is an informant. Frankly, I have reasons to suspect Gwen."

"And that's not all: When I told Gwen I wanted out of Witness Protection, she threatened to have me charged as an accessory even though she knows I had nothing to do with what my father, Richard and his dad did. I just don't trust her, so I got away from her on Halloween. The FBI doesn't know where I am right now, and for my own safety, I want to keep it that way."

"Well, what are you going to do now? How can I help you, Katy?"

"I need a safe place to stay that's under the radar for a couple of weeks. I have some friends that can help me get out of the country. I have somewhere to go that I know will be safe, but it will take at least two weeks or so to set things up. Will you help me?" Katy asked.

"You can always come and stay with me at my house for a while until you decide what to do, if you want." Judith answered.

"No, I don't want to impose on you, and I don't want to put you in any danger if either the FBI or those men find me again. An empty apartment will be just fine. It doesn't have to be fancy."

"Don't be silly. I insist. Those men would not find it so easy to hurt me; I can assure you of that, and my lawyers will take care of the FBI. They just can't treat you like that. Do you want me to let Eric know about this? He has been trying to find you. He is worried about you." Judith asked looking straight at the viking.

Katy was silent for a few seconds. "No. Don't say anything to Eric, I really can't deal with him right now," she said quietly, but there was pain in her voice.

"But he cares about you. He's worried sick..."

"No buts, Judith. You were wrong. Eric doesn't like humans; you said so yourself. He sure doesn't give a damn about me; he more than proved that."

"Just what did he do to you that night? Did he hurt you?" Judith's eyes shot daggers at Eric as she asked the question.

"No, of course he didn't hurt me, but what happened is between us and is private. Someday, I hope to give that snake bit loser a big piece of my mind for what did that night. I think that overgrown adolescent needs to see a shrink; he has more mood swings than Sybil has personalities, and I just can't deal with him right now. No disrespect intended, but if the price of your help means I have to see or talk to Eric, I will find someone else to help me." Katy declared firmly. Eric winced at the anger and bitterness that was clear in her voice. The other three were staring at him as if he had three heads; he suddenly felt defensive and uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Katy. I won't say anything to Eric. Just tell me where you are." Judith replied softly.

"Thank you, Judith." Katy breathed an audible sigh of relief before she gave her location and motel room number.

Judith was pleasantly surprised; she said, "Carlisle is less than an hour from my home. I can have my man pick you up and drive you to my house. I am out on the road, so I won't be home until well after midnight. I am going to call home and make the arrangements. If you need anything, just ask my housekeeper. Please treat my home as if it were yours. If I don't see you before you go to bed, we will talk tomorrow night. If you really want to leave the country, I can help you do that too. I am glad you called, Katy, and I am glad I will see you again."

Sookie gave Eric a scornful look. "Smooth, Eric. Real smooth. I don't know what you did to that woman, but you ran her off. She's in danger now because of you. I hope you know that."

The last thing Eric wanted right now was a lecture on his behavior, but Sookie was right. What Sookie thought was important to him and always would be. He nodded at her, "I hadn't seen her in a week. That night she was in a bar, drinking, playing pool and dancing with some human men. They were touching her. I was jealous, and I said and did some things that I shouldn't have. I scared her, so I don't blame her for running." he said simply.

Judith glared at him even more. "You had no right to be jealous! You didn't see her in a week because that was what you and Daniel planned, that wasn't her fault. You could have at least called her, you know. That week you were out with a different woman every night. The papers were full of pictures of you kissing and groping those skanks. Did you ever stop to think how Katy may have felt if she saw those pictures? Besides, you were banging those whores from downstairs every night. I know because I was there, and those fangbangers could talk of nothing else. They were taking bets who you would choose; they were making me and my friends sick. What right did you have to be jealous of Katy?" she asked furiously.

He didn't answer her question, instead he snarled at her, "Judith, I don't have to explain my actions to you. I am going with you, so don't even think you can stop me from seeing Katy."

"I wasn't planning to, Eric. If we leave right now, we can be at at my house by midnight. I personally don't think you deserve a woman like Katy, but I am not stupid: I know she needs the protection that only you can give her. With the kind of danger she is in, she needs you right now more than ever. Just don't screw things up this time, understand?" The small vamp said with a smirk on her face.

"Oh, just shut the fuck up, Judith! You're a real pain in the ass; do you knows that?" he answered back sharply. She smirked again.

Bill, who had left the room a minute earlier to use the phone, stepped back into the living room and said calmly, "I've contacted Daniel. He and his men will meet us in Little Rock before daybreak. We should go now. We don't know if Katy's pursuers will find her, but we need to be there if they do. We may have to kill them all."

Eric was taken aback. "You don't have to do this, Bill. This is my problem."

"And you are my king. Besides, Sookie and Judith both think that this Katy Dumont is in love withr you. They think you are in madly love with her, too. Who are we to disagree with the two most intelligent females in the world?" Bill said as he smiled at Sookie and kissed her.

"I understand Judith, but just why does Sookie think I love Katy?" Eric asked curiously.

"Because I can read your mind. You can't stop thinking about her, can you?" Sookie teased. "Besides, I had a vision of you two together the night Bill and I were married. I saw her on your arm. You love her, and she loves you; you idiot."

"Sookie!" Bill and Judith gasped at the same time. They were shocked that Sookie had decided to tell Eric her gift was back. She just shrugged. "I'm tired of hiding it. It's time he knows."

Eric was shocked too. "But I thought Appius destroyed your telepathic gift."

"He sure as hell tried, but Nyall helped me, and it came back a few days after Appius died. My gift is stronger than ever. I can even read vampire minds now, and I sometimes have visions of the future. As I said, I had a vision of you and Katy together when I first saw you at our wedding reception," she said. She was pleased with the reaction she got from him.

For a split second, Eric was angry. "How long have you known, Bill?" he asked quietly, but ominously. He did not like his subjects keeping secrets behind his back.

"From the beginning. I decided not to tell you. Sookie is never going to work for you again, Eric; it's too dangerous, so don't even think about it. If you try to force the issue, our deal is off." Bill said fiercely as he squared off in front of his king. He wasn't afraid of Eric Northman, and they both knew it.

Sookie said, "Don't blame Bill for this, Eric. We both decided not to tell you. The only people who know are Judith, my grandfather, Claude and Dermot. I don't want anyone else to know." She linked her arm with Bill and stood facing the viking. There was no doubt in Eric's mind that those two loved each other. They were a team standing together against everyone and anyone else. He hoped someday that he and Katy would be like that.

Eric's anger quickly faded, but he gave Bill a calculating look. "Very devious, Bill," he said. "That was a move worthy of me. I am impressed. I didn't know you had it in you," he said approvingly. Bill said nothing, but he held his ground.

Eric turned to Judith. "I suppose you knew this too. Is that why you proposed the services of your telepathic friends?"

"Yes, and the arrangement has really worked out for you hasn't it?" she replied.

"I suppose, I should be angry with you, Bill, but I am not. You were only doing what you thought was right to protect Sookie. Smart move. Smart move, indeed!" Then the big, blonde vampire laughed.

Bill, Judith and Sookie looked at each other in astonishment.

Within minutes, the three vamps were in Judith's big SUV and moving fast down the interstate heading toward Arkansas. Eric was driving with Judith sitting in the passenger seat. Bill sat in the back, behind Eric. Judith called her housekeeper and explained everything. She and her husband would pick Katy up within an hour.

The trip from Bon Temps took longer than expected because of road construction. The three vamps spent most of the ride making plans how to protect Katy. Eric planned to take her back to New Orleans with him while Bill, Daniel and his men took care of Califano and his remaining vamps.

Daniel planned to hack AFIS and investigate the humans on the list he had gotten from his friend. One or more of them were pursuing Katy. Once these people were taken care of, there should be no reason for the FBI to insist that Katy testify. If they did, Eric had enough pull with state and national politicians to stop them in their tracks.

That left Gwen Jameson. Eric grew more furious with each passing minute thinking about what that bitch did to Katy. More importantly, if she was the informant who endangered Katy's life, he planned to kill her himself. But everything had to be done slowly and according a meticulously laid plan. It couldn't be hurried. There could be no evidence linking him and his vampires to the deaths of the human scum involved in the child sex scandal or to the disappearance of Gaetano Calilfano and his vampires.

As they rode, Judith said, "You know, you should form a blood bond with Katy, so you can find her if anything else happens." Judith had formed a blood bond with every one of her human companions. She had several before Doc; forming a blood bond was a natural thing for her to do.

Eric had not wanted to form another blood bond with a human, but he regretted that decision now. He said thoughtfully. "I have thought about that a lot during these past five weeks. If we ever get there; I will ask her tonight. But it's her choice. I won't trick or force her into it."

Bill caught Eric's eyes in the rear view mirror. They were both thinking the same thing: Sookie. Eric blinked and turned his eyes back to the road. For the first time since Sookie and Judith tried to convince him, Bill finally believed that Eric Northman actually loved Katy Dumont; if he was willing to let Katy make the decision whether or not to bond with him, he must love her. Bill hoped things would work out between the two. He also felt a huge sense of relief.

In Little Rock, after being picked up by Judith's housekeeper and her husband, Katy asked them to stop at a Walmart's so she could do a little shopping. She picked up some bras, panties, socks, three pair of jeans, tops, an extra large cotton T-shirt to sleep in and a few more items of clothing. She was getting pre-menstrual cramps as her period was scheduled to start tomorrow, so she pick up a box of tampax, some Midol, Aleve, and some other personal toiletries too.

After arriving at Judith's gated estate, Katy explored a little while waiting for the housekeeper to fix a light meal. She loved the way Judith had decorated her home. The small vamp definitely had taste and style. The elegant, but homey house was warm and welcoming, not at all what she expected.

Katy surveyed the many photographs on the wall outside the family room. She was pleased to see her own picture hanging among the many friends shown there. The photo had been taken at a Christmas party a few years ago; she had dark hair then and was sitting at the same table with Doc Hampton and Judith. She didn't even remember that the photograph had been taken.

At 10:30 that night, Katy sat on the side of queen sized bed in a large, but comfortable, guest bedroom. She was brushing her hair as she thought about the events of the past five weeks. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt safe.

She had showered and put on the oversized sleeping T-shirt; it hung down to her mid thigh; it bagged on her, but it was comfortable and it felt good to sleep in something besides day clothes. For the last few days, she had washed her only pair of panties and bra every night and hung them to dry in the motel bathrooms while she slept. They were still damp and clammy when she dressed in the morning. It felt really nice having some clean underwear for a change. Tomorrow she would use Judith's washer and dryer to do all of her laundry; she smiled at the prospect of doing that simple, normal task.

Standing up, she walked over to the closet door and opened it. She pulled off her T-shirt and stood looking at herself. She took careful stock of what she saw in the full length mirror. During the last five weeks, she had been in a constant state of anxiety, and worry. The constant threat of death, frequent moving and the way she found out about her aunt's death had taken a toll on her body and her mental state.

She had lost at least ten more pounds in spite of a diet of fast food that the federal marshals brought her to eat. Although she tried to make healthy food choices, usually her meals ended up being hamburgers or cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes. She often left most of her meals untouched. Her handlers seemed to get fatter while she just got skinnier. Still, the results of the bad diet was showing on her complexion and skin. The red rinse she used on her hair was fading; her blonde roots were showing, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked like hell and she knew it.

She knew she needed a big dose of TLC and weeks of a better diet. She hoped the short stay with Judith would be enough do the trick. After lathering her face, hands and body down with some cherry scented body lotion she found in the bathroom, she put her T-shirt back on. Finally satisfied with her ministrations, she felt more relaxed and refreshed than she had since she escaped from Eric's palace.

Getting into bed, she yawned widely as she snuggled down under the blankets. She fell asleep dreaming about Eric; they were at her house making love. It was her favorite dream; a comfortable dream; one she looked forward to every night.

It was almost two in the morning when Eric, Judith and Bill arrived at Judith's home in Little Rock. After knocking back a pint of human blood from Judith's store in the basement cooler, Eric excused himself and let himself into Katy's bedroom. He didn't have to be told which bedroom she was sleeping in; he was drawn to it like a magnet. He had picked up her special scent well before they even walked into the house.

Katy was laying on her side, snoring softly. She was sleeping so deeply, she didn't wake up when he walked into the room and turned the bedside lamp on low. He had to hold back the impulse to wake her up and take her into his arms. He could sense her exhaustion. He took a quick shower, turned the light off and climbed into bed behind her.

As if sensing his presence, Katy turned over to face him in her sleep and moved close to him. She put her arm around his chest and nestled her head under his chin. "Eric," she whispered softly in her sleep.

Eric held her close to him for hours, feeling her warm breath on his bare chest each time she exhaled. It tickled. He had not made love to her in six weeks and he wanted her badly. It was all he could do not to take her right there, but he didn't want to wake her. As he lay there, he inhaled her wonderful scent over and over. She smelled like orange blossoms, honey and heady spice. All the fear and anxiety he felt for the last five weeks melted away. He began to feel peaceful; he finally relaxed.

At 7:15 in the morning, the sound of the automated shutters closing over the windows made an unfamiliar sound and woke Katy. Her face was resting against a cool masculine chest, two arms held her and a heavy leg was thrown over hers. She didn't have to look; she knew from his scent, it was Eric. Her heart started to sing, Perhaps Judith was right. Perhaps she was wrong. If Eric was laying here beside her, he must care about her. That thought made her happy, but still she had issues with the big being beside her that needed to be settled.

A second later, she felt the call of nature. Her bladder was full and insistent, so she moved to get off the bed. Eric didn't say a word, but his arms pulled her closer into him.

"Eric. It's not dawn yet; are you awake? Let me up; I have to pee. I'll be right back; I promise."

He was still silent, but he relaxed his hold. Katy got up and walked swiftly to the bathroom and took care of her needs. After washing her hands, she walked back to the bed, turned on the lamp and sat down on the bed beside him. She sat there and just watched him for a few minutes.

He was laying on his back now with his arms stretched out, his big body taking up most of the bed. His eyes were closed, but she doubted that he was sleeping since dawn was at least five minutes away. He looked absolutely beautiful to her. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him.

Reaching over, she brushed away a stray lock of blonde hair that had fallen over his forehead and with a lightly closed hand, softly ran the top of her fingers down his cheek to his mouth. She sighed as she traced the outline of his lips, moved her finger to the cleft in his chin and softly touched the hollow of his throat. He quivered a little as she touched him. He was definitely awake.

"I know you are awake. We have to talk, but it can wait until you get up tonight. Move over and give me some room," she said softly as she patted his side.

Eric opened his eyes and looked straight at her. Desire made his blue eyes darken. His smile made her heart thrum. He whispered seductively, "Mmmm, it feels so good when you touch me like this. I like to touch you too. I can make you feel really good for the next few minutes, if you let me." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he opened his arms to her. He laughed happily as she blushed a little and her heart started to race.

She said firmly, "No lovemaking until we talk."

"Why?" he asked sounding like a disappointed little boy. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She looked straight into his eyes, took a leap of faith and opened her heart to him.

Touching his hand, she said, "I love you, Eric, but I am not a whore, and I won't be treated like one, not even by you. I need to understand what happened that night. You crossed the line, and I need to know why."

She continued, "I may be wrong, but to me, the fact that you are here in my bed this morning, tells me that you do care for me. It may not be love, but you have feelings for me, and I want to be with you. But, before that can happen, we need to set some boundaries, so nothing like that ever happens again. Okay?"

"Okay," he said quietly. "I missed you, Katy. I went crazy looking for you these past few weeks. You are my woman, and I want to be with you. We will talk tonight. I have something to ask you too." He wanted to say that he loved her, but for some reason, he just couldn't say the words.

"Good," she said as she moved quickly to snuggle up against him. He sighed as he pulled her close. With sudden flash of clarity, Katy knew for certain Eric loved her. She wondered if he would ever be able to tell her so, but if not, that was okay with her; just knowing it was enough.

"Are you okay?" he asked sleepily.

"I'm better than okay. I'm happy," she replied.

"Me, too," he breathed as the day claimed him in sleep. They fell asleep facing each other, holding each other in their arms. It felt right. It felt like home.


	14. Chapter 14

Dark Desire – Chapter 14

Katy woke up around ten in the morning. She was laying on her back almost to the edge of the bed again. Eric lay close beside her facing her with his arm thrown across her waist holding her lightly. He was buzzing and making making soft snoring sounds. She was curious so she turned on the light and looked carefully at him. Yup; he was definitely snoring. She wondered why he did that since vampires don't breath. Was it some automatic reflex action, or a body memory from when he was human? She didn't know, but she knewthat she had a lot to learn about him.

Even though she wasn't looking forward to the conversation they would have later, just knowing that he was there beside her made her feel happy and content. In fact, she felt great. She had at least ten hours of good sleep, and she felt fully rested for the first time in weeks.

After showering and dressing, Katy left the bedroom and walked toward the kitchen. She was attracted by the wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and the sound of a coffee maker as a fresh pot was being brewed. She could also smell something fresh out of the the oven. It smelled like blueberry muffins. Her stomach started to grumble; she was absolutely starving.

Judith's kitchen was cheerful; it was large, well appointed and had everything a human could want in a kitchen. It looked like it was used a lot. Sunlight poured through the skylight over the large center island as Katy walked into the room.

A female voice said, "Morning, Miss. Can I fix you something to eat? I have eggs ready to scramble, or if you'd like, I can make you pancakes or French Toast." The voice belonged to Hannah Greeley, Judith Vardamon's human housekeeper; she was standing at the refrigerator looking inside for something. When Hannah closed the refrigerator door; she had a pitcher of fresh made orange juice in her hands.

The elderly white haired woman and her husband, Jerome, had worked for Judith decades. Hannah kept house, and Jerome handled the grounds. They both loved Judith and they had both loved her late human husband, Doc Hampton. They both picked Katy up at the motel last night. Hannah went shopping with her at Walmart's on the way to Judith's home.

"If it's no trouble, Hannah. Scrambled eggs and one of those muffins will do just fine. Coffee too, when it's done. Thank you." Katy replied.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Katy had eaten her eggs, downed her orange juice and sat buttering the last piece of muffin and wolfed it down with a big sip of black coffee. "Mmmm. This is all so good. Do you cook like this everyday?" she asked the elderly woman. Hannah came off as a very nice, down to earth woman. Katy had liked her immediately.

"Well there's usually just me and Jerome, but sometimes there are human visitors and other humans who occasionally do work for Ms. Vardamon. When they are here, I keep them all fed, so I try my best." Hannah smiled.

Katy sensed that Hannah was proud of her culinary skills. "Your best is really great," she said.

"I'm okay, but you should taste Judith's cooking. Now she is one great cook! She used to cook for Doc, you know. She hasn't cooked since he passed away though." Hannah said sadly. "Maybe she will cook for you while you are here."

Katy hadn't known that. She had never even thought about vampires cooking human meals. "Oh, I don't want to trouble her; she's doing enough for me already. Besides, I don't really know how long I am going to stay. I may be going back to New Orleans soon. Say, Hannah, may I use the washer and dryer to do some laundry today?"

"Just give your stuff to me. I'm doing laundry now, and I might as well do your things too."

Katy could hear the washer and dryer working in the laundry room off the kitchen. "I will as long as you let me help you with something." She got up from the table and stacked her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. The dryer buzzer went off. Hannah took the dry load out, and the two women sat folding bath towels as they talked companionably.

After the laundry was washed, dried, folded and put away. Katy put on her sneakers and went outside for a run. It had been a moe than six weeks since she was able to run outdoors, and she was looking forward to it. As she stretched, she saw Jerome in the garden pruning some bushes and trees. Katy stopped to say hello. The old gardener wasn't much of a talker, he just nodded and smiled.

The weather was still warm and she didn't need a jacket. The estate was large, and Katy ran on a well beaten path through some woods not far from the house. Every so often, she would pass an armed human security guard who would stop introduce himself and ask her if she needed anything. Everyone she met was friendly, but professional; Katy felt very safe. Evidently, Judith had let her whole staff know that she was staying and they all knew what she looked like.

Later that afternoon, Katy got out her sketch pad and began to draw Hannah as the housekeeper prepared dinner for the three of them. Next, from memory, she sketched a picture of Jerome as he appeared working in the garden this morning. Katy was talented and her drawings were true to life. They captured the essence of two plain, hardworking people as they performed their simple labors. When she was done, she presented the two drawings to Hannah. The old servant was delighted. She said she was going to have the sketches framed. She couldn't remember anyone doing anything like that for her before.

At sundown, Katy was sitting at the kitchen table with Hannah and Jerome enjoying dessert and an after dinner coffee when Judith, followed by Bill and Daniel, walked in to the room. Jerome got up and took four pints of human blood out of the refrigerator, microwaved them and gave three of them to the vamps. As a doctor, Katy was not at all squeamish at the sight of blood, still it was a little strange watching the vamps as they palpated the bags then sank their fangs into them and drank.

After Judith finished her bag of blood, Katy walked up to the small, dark haired vamp and offered her hand. "Thank you for offering me the hospitality of your home, Judith. I will never forget your kindness," she said.

"Nonsense, it was the least I could do for a friend of a friend. Besides Doc liked you a lot, you know. He was sorry when you left the lab. He said you were the best doctor he'd ever employed there; the employees really liked you," Judith replied before she introduced Katy to Bill and Daniel.

At that moment, Eric walked in with his cellphone in his hand; he had been talking to some of his men in New Orleans. Without looking at Katy, he took the offered pint of blood from Jerome, mixed it up, sank his fangs into it and drank deeply.

Katy was silent. She watched Eric; her heart felt like it was in her throat.

"I think you two need to talk." Judith said.

"Yes, we do. Come with me." Eric turned and offered his hand to Katy. Together they walked back to her bedroom. Once inside, Eric stood in front of the bed and pulled her close. He began to kiss her. "You love me," he declared confidently. He liked the sound of that, so he said it again, only more softly. "You love me. You said so."

"Yes," she said simply as she moved back a little. "But you are trying to distract me. Aren't you?"

He was trying to avoid, or at least delay, their conversation. "I'm trying to make love to you, lover. Don't you want to?" he purred seductively as he closed with her and began to kiss her again. Her body had already given him the answer he wanted.

"Yes, but we talk first, okay," she said. She was almost breathless from his kisses, but she was determined to get this over with.

Eric didn't answer, he began to nibble her earlobe and kiss her softly on the neck. All the while, his hands slipped under her blouse and explored her body making her feel like she was on fire. He loved the feel of her soft, satiny skin, but he really liked the way her nipples hardened at his touch. He laughed, pleased with himself as her body began to tremble. He opened her blouse and started to trail kisses down to the tempting flesh that showed above her bra.

Katy jerked as his tongue trailed fire over her sensitive skin. She pushed herself away from him once more. "Oh, no you don't. You are not fighting fair, Eric. Stop! This is too important." she complained.

"Are we fighting, lover? I didn't know that. I sure don't feel like fighting right now, and I don't think you do either," Eric said as he looked in her eyes. He saw that she was serious and harumphed. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. Let's talk." He moved to sit on the loveseat in front of the window. She buttoned her blouse and sat down beside him.

"Explain to me what happened that night. Why were you so angry with me? Why did you call me a whore? Why did you treat me like that? For a while, I actually thought you were going to rape me. Why?" Katy asked simply. Her tone was deeply confused and hurt.

"I could feel you responding to me. It would not have been rape. I would never have forced you," he replied. He was offended that she thought he would hurt her.

"My body may have responded to you; I can't help that, but my heart and my head definitely didn't want you. Not like that way, anyway. I told you over and over to stop, and I know you heard me. Would you would have taken by force what I didn't want to give you willingly? No matter how my body responded, that is rape in my book," she stood up and faced him as she accused him.

That thought shocked Eric. He had been disgusted with himself for scaring her that night. He knew that he had been wrong, but hearing her say it so succinctly and clearly made it seem even worse. He knew she had been angry with him for treating her roughly and calling her names, but It had never occurred to him that she might actually think he was trying to rape her. Now he understood the look of terror and betrayal and in her eyes. He stood up and took both of her hands in his.

He paused for a moment. "You were dancing with those humans. You played pool with them. You let them touch you! You are my woman! You should not let any man touch you, but me." replied firmly, but quietly. His eyes glittered with jealousy and anger as he remembered.

Eric's answer stunned her. She didn't expect to hear that he was jealous of her. He had no right to be jealous of her. The very thought of that made her furious. Her eyes sparkled with her own righteous anger.

"You were jealous of me? But that doesn't even make sense. We'd been together for only two nights, and we hadn't seen each other in a week. You didn't even call me to say hi, or ask how I was doing. I worked almost every night until after dawn, but you could have left a message. After I saw your pictures in the newspapers, I had no reason to even think you were going to call me, or that I would even see see you again. You tried to glamour me into forgetting you, don't you remember?" her hurt filled voice reminded him.

The memories of Eric's pictures in the papers, kissing and groping those women suddenly exploded in her mind. She had been hurt and jealous back then, but tonight, she was absolutely furious at his hypocrisy. She moved right up into his face and and almost spat her words at him.

She went on, "Besides, I was only dancing and having fun. I wasn't making out; none of those guys touched me anyplace they shouldn't have. They didn't grope me the way you groped those other women. That week, you were all over the papers shoving your tongue down some woman's throat. Christ, I thought you were digging for gold. Don't even try to tell me you weren't sleeping with them. So, even if I had let a guy touch me, even if I had slept with him, what business would that have been of yours? We were not together; we had no understanding. You had no right to be jealous of me. What I was doing in the bar that night wasn't any of your business!"

Eric pulled her to him, "You are mine! You will always be mine, and what you do is my business," he said as he enfolded her in his arms. He was furious, but he didn't know who he was angrier at; Katy, because she challenged him, or himself, because what she said was true. He had behaved badly that night. He had behaved like a randy stud all week long.

Katy continued, "I am yours? What exactly does that mean? If I am yours, doesn't that mean you are mine? Why would you expect me to be faithful to you, while you out banging anything in skirts. I don't know what your other girlfriends put up with, but believe me, I will never stay with a man who cheats on me, period. If we are going to be together, I will never cheat on you, but you better not cheat on me either, do you understand?"she shouted at him.

Eric was chagrined, but he clearly heard her willingness to consider a relationship with him. He said quietly, "You are right, and I am sorry. I should have called you, I am sorry now that I didn't. I was angry because you wouldn't tell me the truth about who you were. I thought you didn't trust me. I wanted to see you, but I decided to stay away until I found out more about you. You could have been an axe murderer for all I knew," he knew immediately that his lame joke fell flat.

He explained further, "I was even angrier because I couldn't stop thinking about you when I didn't want to. I don't really know why I slept with those women; I was trying to prove something to myself, I guess."

"I knew you were in some kind of trouble, so I had my men watching out for you. That night, I found out that you were being stalked by another vamp, Peter Kenyon. He had been asking questions around town about you. I wanted to protect you from him, but when I got to the bar, you were dancing with those other men. I felt foolish and jealous. I guess I just lost my head."

"I was wrong and I am sorry for what I did and said. I never would have hurt you, but I know I scared you. I am sorry I made you run from me; I never wanted that. I tried so hard to find you to explain. I wanted to protect you and keep you safe. I hope you believe me," he explained.

Eric was a proud and powerful being. Katy was sure that he wasn't used to admitting that he had been wrong, and he wasn't used to apologizing for his actions. She put her arms around him and kissed him softly. "I believe you. I should have told you who I was from the beginning, but I was afraid to. Not because I didn't trust you, but because of my aunt. Also Wit-Sec would have moved me immediately if they found out I had identified myself to you. I realized later that you didn't want to hurt me, but by then it was too late. So where do we go from here?" She asked.

"I want you to come to New Orleans to live with me, to be my lover, to share my life. I want to form a blood bond with you. I want you to be part of me, and I want to be part of you." he said.

Katy wanted to be with Eric and she was intrigued by the blood bond; it sounded romantic to her. "Explain what a blood bond is." she said. He did. He didn't make it sound romantic at all. He warned her of how intimate and invasive it could be.

"We will be connected to each other as if we have become one in many ways. We will be able to sense each other and always know where the other is, unless we are very far apart. We won't be able to read each others minds, but we will be able to feel each others emotions. If one of us is in pain, the other one will feel it too. If one of us us happy or sad, the other one will feel that too. We will always know when the other is telling the truth or hiding something, so we won't be able to keep secrets from each other. I will always be present in your mind, and you will always be present in mine. It will be as if we always carry each other around inside us. It is very powerful, deep magic, and it is very intense. There is much, much more to it, but you have to experience it to know."

"Would that even work with me since I am a null?"

"I am not totally sure, but I think so, because the bond has to do with the blood, not with the mind. It is magic, but it is not like the magic of glamour. It is more intense and much more powerful than glamour. Most humans would go crazy from the intimacy and the invasiveness of the bond, but since it is a vampire thing, I can control it from my end. I would teach you how to control it too. I promise that if you ever wanted to be free of it, or of me, I would release you from the bond."

"You can do that? You can control the blood bond?"

"Yes, even though I don't have total control over it, I would be able to break the bond and release you. If feeling me through the bond becomes too much for you, I can turn it down from my end."

"This sounds like something you would not want to do unless you deeply cared about the human. Is that true?"

"Yes, although we can form a blood bond for other reasons, it usually done for love. Vampires do not often share their blood with a human unless it is to turn them into a vampire. It is rare for a vampire to form a blood bond with a human for any reason at all."

"Have you ever made another vampire? Have you ever bonded with a human before?"

Eric hesitated, Katy thought she saw a brief flash of pain in his eyes. "Yes. I have made one child. Her name is Pam. You will meet her soon. I was blood bonded to another human for a while. Her name is Sookie Compton, and she is married to Bill now. I want you to know that because you will also meet her soon. You also should know that I didn't ask her to bond with me. I tricked her into it because I wanted her, and that was wrong. I loved her once, but she is just a very dear friend now. It is a long story and I will tell it all to you one day, but not now. What I want you to know now is that bonding with me is your choice. I won't trick you or force you into it. Even if you don't want to bond with me, I still want you with me," he said quietly, but Katy understood how badly he wanted to bond with her.

"How do you do it?" Katy asked.

"We exchange enough blood until the blood bond forms."

"Will I be turned into a vampire? I am not sure I would like that very much," she said.

"No. To turn you, I would have to almost drain you, and then, just when you are on the edge of death, I would have to give you my blood, a lot of it. To form a blood bond, I have to take more blood than I did before, but I don't have to drain you."

A sudden chilling thought hit Katy. "Are you offering to bond with me simply because you think it is the best way for you to protect me. If that is the case, you don't need the blood bond. I will be with you anyway. I do not want to share myself with you so intimately, unless you really want to share yourself with me the same way. Your wanting to protect me is not enough. I don't think I could stand that," she said.

"I want this bond with you because I care about you. I want us to be part of each other," he said.

"Then there are a few things that we need to settle first."

"What?" he asked.

"I never cheated on my husband, or any of my boyfriends. I never wanted to. As long as we are together, I will be faithful to you, so I need to know now that you intend to be faithful to me. I won't stay with any man who cheats on me. Also, so that there won't be any more episodes like that night, we both must agree to talk things out even when we don't want to. I know you think humans are inferior, but if I am your woman, you must treat me with respect and as an equal. You can't make decisions for me without asking me first."

"That sounds reasonable," he said.

"When we get to New Orleans, I would like go back to work as soon as I can. I went through years of study and training to become a doctor, and I want to practice again."

Eric hesitated as he thought that over. "Right now there are still humans and vampires after you and it won't be safe until this thing is over. But you used to be the company doctor when you worked for Judith's husband. Maybe you can do the same for me. I have many human employees, not just in the palace, but in other businesses I own. We could set up a small clinic for you in the palace if you like. After this is over, you can go back to work in a hospital if you want."

"Then I do want to bond with you; I want us to be part of each other, too," she quietly as she embraced him and tilted her head to one side. Eric moved her face back up to his. With his fangs fully extended, and his eyes glowing with deep emotion, he kissed her for a long time then softly laved her throat where the blood pulsed so temptingly.

"I won't hurt you, I promise," he whispered just before he sank his fangs deep into the pulsing artery. Katy was still reeling from his kisses when he bit her. His bite was so gentle, she didn't feel it at first, then he began to suck and lap, again and again.

"Oh, my!" she moaned and gave herself up entirely to the wonderful sensations that rippled in wave like motions through body. Every nerve in her body was alive and thirsting for Eric, wanting to satisfy him; wanting to belong to him. Her blood sang as it rushed to meet his lips.

She knew he could easily drain her completely, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She didn't have to be an empath to feel the powerful draw of his vampire bloodlust, but she wasn't afraid. She willingly placed her very life and her complete trust in his ability to control himself.

Fire that burned exquisitely, yet didn't cause any pain, sent pleasure roaring through her. Tension built up between her legs so tightly, she almost cried with relief as a powerful orgasm surged through her giving her much needed release. Hot liquid warmth suffused her whole body centering on the channel between her legs. Her hot core ached to be filled with him.

Eric began to tremble as passion and pleasure held him in thrall. He drank deep, lapping again and again, groaning, moaning, mewling and shaking in ecstasy as her thick sweet, blood filled his mouth. He drank much more than the first two times. As her blood coursed through his body, he realized again that she was different from other humans. Her blood called to him like no other; it smelled like no other; its heat warmed him like no other; it gave him sustenance, but it also made him feel more alive than he had since he was human. He knew Katy Dumont was the one he was meant to be with; she was made for him, and him alone.

He swallowed again and again and drank until he both smelled and felt her powerful orgasm as she came. He knew it was time to stop. Reluctantly, he withdrew his fangs and sealed her wounds with his saliva. He felt her knees go weak as she collapsed into him.

Eric lifted Katy into his arms and placed her on the bed. He stripped her of her clothing and and undressed himself. He laid down and pulled her up to lay face down on top of him. His fully engorged member lay between them. With one hand, she reached down and gently touched the silken tip of his organ, and he almost lost it; he almost forgot what they were doing. "Not yet, lover; not yet. You have to wait a few minutes."

He used his sharp nail to open a deep wound in his neck. With the other hand, he cupped the back of her head and brought her face down to his bleeding wound. "Drink, Katy. Drink deep. Drink until I tell you to stop."

Katy wound her arms tightly around his body and did just that. Her mouth surrounded the wound and she began to suck. She had barely tasted him that night so long ago, but tonight she drank deeply. As his blood gushed into her mouth; she almost couldn't keep up with it. For long minutes, his salty, spicy, sweet thick blood filled her mouth and she swallowed again and again. His blood tasted so good. The act of drinking like this directly from Eric excited Katy on a primal level in a way she did not understand. It was made even more exciting as he convulsed with pleasure and moaned mightily under her until his own orgasm gushed between them. "Stop now, lover. It is done," he said. She pulled back and looked at him with wonder on her face.

All the while as Katy sucked strongly at his throat, and as his blood filled her, Eric felt the blood bond forming on his side. He felt her passion and her pleasure as she drank from him. He felt the strength of her love for him, but he also felt her confusion. She didn't feel him yet, he could tell. He was disappointed.

Katy felt strange, giddy and lightheaded. Her head buzzed a lot like a static on a radio. She felt a powerful headache and she was confused. She was deeply disappointed because she did not feel Eric within her. "I can't feel you. Can you feel me?" she asked him. He nodded. "Maybe it didn't work for me, because I am a null," she said with tears in her eyes. She knew Eric was disappointed too, and that made her feel worse.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I have a headache, and I feel a little dizzy and lightheaded, but I'll be okay. I'm sorry it didn't work on me, Eric," she said softly. As soon as the words left her mouth, Katy was was consumed with an overwhelming urge to make love to Eric. The urge was raw, powerful and primal. She desperately needed him inside her. Eric felt her desire, and he readily complied. They made love over and over for hours until Katy was completely exhausted. She slept at least an hour in his arms.

Eric dressed and left her sleeping as he walked down to the family room. It was one o'clock; Judith, Bill and Daniel were talking. Bill and Daniel had scouted the area around the motel in Carlisle to see if anyone had been searching for Katy. They asked questions of the desk clerk and maids, then promptly glamoured them. They asked at the fast food joint next door and glamoured the counter clerk there too. There was no evidence that anyone had been looking for her there.

As Eric walked into the room, Judith's empathic senses came alive. She could feel his strong sense of disappointment. She could also feel the love he had for Katy. She could feel Katy's mind at rest, but that feeling came second hand through Eric's own sense of Katy. She knew immediately that the blood bond had not worked on Katy. She felt sorry for the big male.

The four talked and made plans. They were talking about Gaetano Califano when Eric was swept up by a murderous rage. He wanted to kill the old vamp for wanting to harm Katy. Suddenly, both Eric and Judith's heads swivelled toward the hallway. Eric's eyes widened in surprise and shock. He felt Katy; she was awake, and he knew she felt him. Judith felt it too.

Seconds before, Katy opened her eyes and sat up. The headache was gone, but she still felt lightheaded and dizzy. She felt different...she felt more...she was not alone inside her mind anymore. It was as if a dam burst and Eric poured into her. He was broadcasting loud and clear. The strength of his powerful emotions engulfed, then almost bowled her over, as they exploded inside her mind. She knew for certain that it was the blood bond, and she knew he felt it too. She rejoiced as she felt his love and his happiness; they were forever one.

She quickly dressed and headed to where she instinctively knew he was. It was like having a Garmin in her head and Eric was "Destination: Home." She was a little shaky on her feet as she padded barefoot down the hall toward him. He met her halfway, and picked her up in his arms.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I can feel you, Eric!" she whispered to him. She wondered at the feel of him. "Your emotions are so powerful and strong. Ooh! I can feel your love for me; its wonderful!. I never guessed that you would feel like this!" Katy was elated and awestruck.

Feeling Katy's happiness as she felt him inside her mind made Eric feel humble and overwhelmed with love for her. Sookie had resented the intimacy and the invasiveness of their blood bond, and he knew it; he had wondered if Katy would feel the same way. He never expected Katy's joy and her open acceptance of him in her mind. He was touched on a level so deep, he couldn't comprehend it.

Katy was overcome with happiness. The big male truly loved her. Feeling the strength of his love for her was like a powerful drug, one that she never wanted to stop taking. But she felt other emotions too, some of them were very dark, violent, deep and intense. She felt hatred and rage and knew he wanted to kill someone. She wanted him to calm down.

"Are you all right, lover? Maybe you should go back to bed," he asked tenderly. He was all concern and worry for her now.

"Don't be silly. I am all right, but it would help if you toned it down a little. It would help if you stopped thinking about killing somebody," she softly tapped his head with her fingertips and laughed. "Besides, I am hungry."

'Oh, yes. I feel it." he said. It felt strange feeling hunger for human food. He could feel the ebb and flow of her emotions, and how new and confusing this all was to her. He knew he was overwhelming her with his own strong emotions. He deliberately calmed himself; she calmed down right along with him.

A few minutes later, Katy was sitting on the sofa in the family room beside Eric who made sure some part of his body touched her at all times. She was eating a piece of toast, drinking hot chocolate and telling the story of her complicated life to four fascinated vampires.

Judith Vardamon looked back and forth between them. She could not sense Katy's emotions directly, but she could feel Eric as he felt Katy; her emotions broadcasted strongly through the big blonde vampire. There was no doubt in Judith's mind that Katy and Eric were in love with each other, and they were happy.

She sent a mental message vampire style to Bill. "No more worries there, Bill. Eric will never bother you and Sookie again. Those two are definitely in love."

Bill smiled back at her. He knew without a doubt Sookie loved him, still Judith could feel his relief.


	15. Chapter 15

Dark Desire – Chapter 15

Several hours later, Eric, Katy, and Daniel took an Anubis jet back to New Orleans after dropping Bill off at Shreveport Regional where he was picked up by Sookie. Katy and Eric sat side by side in two comfortable arm chairs in the front of the well appointed passenger cabin holding hands. Daniel sat in the back, listening to music on head phones and giving the lovers privacy.

Before leaving Judith's house, Katy had showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a comfortable cotton blouse. While showering, she noted her period had started. Although she wasn't bleeding hard, her menstrual cramping was making her feel uncomfortable, so she took two Midol tablets. As soon as she walked into the family room where Eric was waiting, his nostrils flared. He smelled her blood, and through their bond he could feel her discomfort. "I'll take care of that later," he thought.

Since Katy had told him her life story earlier, Eric used the flight home to distract her and tell her his own story. Holding her soft slim hand in hand in his large callused one, he absentmindedly massaged it with his thumb as he explained how he became a vampire. The simple ministration was relaxing to her as she listened intently.

Eric explained what his life had been like, both before and after being turned. Katy was astonished to learn how old Eric was: over one thousand years, or eleven hundred years. He wasn't exactly sure. She could not wrap her mind around that; it seemed impossible to her. Eric Northman had lived through a lot of history and had seen a lot of both wonderful and terrible things. He had met and known great historical figures and been to places that most modern humans could only dream about. Hell, Eric was a part of history! That made him seem all the more precious to her.

When alive, he had been a viking prince, both warrior and farmer. Married to his older brother's widow at sixteen, he was a widower himself seven years later with three young children on his hands. He hadn't loved Aude, but she was a good woman and a good wife. They had three other babies who died at birth, or shortly thereafter. Aude, died of a fever after giving birth to their last stillborn child.

Soon after his wife's death, the young widower began to court another young woman in a village not too far away. He hoped to marry to marry her soon and wanted to get to know her first. He wasn't in love with her either, but it was the logical thing to do: he needed a wife for himself and a mother for his children.

On the way home from her village one night, Eric was drunk when he saw a man was lying on the road. He thought the man was hurt or ill and went to help him. Appius Livius Ocella, the hungry, old roman vampire, viciously attacked his good Samaritan and turned him. Eric was twenty three at the time. Katy knew that Eric was younger than she in human years, but she didn't realize how much younger. Her heart went out to that beautiful young man who was killed so long ago trying to aid a fellow traveler.

Both before and after his turning, Eric's life had been filled with much violence and blood. As a viking prince, warfare, including raiding, pillaging and looting villages along the coast of what is now England and Scotland, was his primary occupation. He had killed many men during those raids. He had taken many more women and men as slaves to work in his fields or as household servants. He had a reputation for being a fierce warrior. He was a wealthy prince by the standards of the times.

After being turned, he had to leave his home and his young children. Katy asked him if he ever returned to his home. He did many years later, but stayed far away from his family; he knew he was far too dangerous to them. Centuries later, he returned again, but there was no sign of his house or the nearby village; the land had reverted to a wild state. Layers of earth had probably covered what remained of his home. He hoped that one day an archeologist would discover the ruins. He wanted to visit again, someday.

He had no idea if his family had survived, or if he had any living descendants today. There was simply no way to find out if his lineage survived. He didn't tell Katy, but he sometimes envied new vamps who were able to stay connected with their human families because of synthetic blood. Bill Compton's relationship with his own living descendants had often stuck in his craw. Katy sensed his loss and closed both of her hands over his big one.

After being made vampire, there was even more blood and violence and fighting. The first year was the worst. He remembered the constant bloodlust and lack of control. He unintentionally killed his victims, sometimes ripping them apart until he learned how to control himself. He also learned the extent of his new strength and vampire powers. He began to like what he was. He began to like and appreciate Appius' companionship.

Her heart ached for him when he told her about Appius. His feelings for his maker were complicated: filled with fear and hate, and eventually love and devotion. His eyes tightened and his face closed down when he told her how Appius had repeatedly raped him during those early years. He had struggled mightily, but he was no match for the much smaller, but much older and so much more powerful vampire.

Appius had been a homosexual when human and continued to prefer handsome young men or, even better, young boys even after death. Eric's beauty and strength appealed to him like no other had for a long time. Eric had hated being forced to have sex with his sire. He hated his maker's absolute control and dominion over him; then eventually he began to enjoy it himself. Eric definitely preferred the opposite sex, but he admitted that he had sometimes enjoyed sex with men, but that hadn't happened in a very long time.

He was never sure if it was real love on his part that made him desire Appius back then, or if it was his maker's dominion over him. Nevertheless, he had eventually come to love Appius. Appius had saved his life more than once; he had been maker, teacher, lover and friend. The old roman soldier had been a big part of Eric's life for a long time, and Eric wasn't ashamed of it. Still, he admitted that he was glad that Appius was dead now.

He and his sire were constantly moving, constantly running, constantly hiding, and constantly hunting humans for food. Vampires could not congregate in large groups in one place. There simply were not enough living humans around to feed a large group of his kindred, besides it wasn't safe. Much of their lives had been spent in isolation, roaming Europe, Asia and even Africa. Their lives were often consumed with loneliness and the constant fear of being caught.

He was chased and nearly killed by humans so many times he lost count. Those were the times that he learned to despise humans. He thought they were inferior, weak, petty beings. Still, he began to study humans and the way they thought, learning the nuances of their emotions, learning to confuse and trick them, learning to survive by any means necessary.

There were times of immense cruelty and violence perpetrated against him, and perpetrated by himself on others. He didn't try to hide it, nor did he try to excuse it. He expected Katy to be shocked by what she heard, but if she was, she did not show it. She listened to everything without judging him. She didn't comment. She realized that if she loved Eric, she would have to accept all of him, and that included his past.

Eric spoke about the good times in his life, too. Exciting times; times when he was able to stay in one place for years at a time, sometimes living in a nest with other vampires. These were the times when he learned about the sciences, music and the arts, when life was relatively easy. He had come to America over one hundred years ago. Of course, modern life with it's synthetic blood, eager blood donors and all of its conveniences was the best possible world for him.

After he left Appius, there were centuries of loneliness broken only by brief respites with human companions. He spoke of how he met his only child, Pam Ravenscroft, shortly after releasing a human companion. He was lonely once more, so he attacked, killed, and turned the beautiful young woman one night. He wanted a new companion and lover to fill that empty void.

Pam loved being a vampire, and he had loved her in his way, but she did not love him. Life together was exciting, but eventually the passion between them died. He released her to live her own life, but she came back to him whenever he needed her. Now, Pam was a big part of his life; they were friends, and they were closer than most makers and their children. He wanted Katy to meet Pam soon. Through their blood bond, Katy knew that it was important to Eric that the two most important females in his life liked each other.

Silent tears wet Katy's face as she listened to him talk about his loneliness. Eric leaned over, tipped her face up to his and licked her tears away softly with his tongue. He didn't want or need her pity, but he knew what Katy felt was so much more than that. He was grateful.

As their plane circled the airport in New Orleans, he told her more about his relationship with Sookie Stackhouse, and how he lost her to Bill Compton. His eyes were filled again with pain when he talked about the telepath. Katy could feel through their bond how much losing Sookie had hurt him, and her heart went out to him again.

Finally, Eric began to talk about his sibling, Alexei Romanov; the gruesome murders he committed, and how he was killed by Dermot, Sookie's fairy uncle. He explained how his maker, Appius, savagely attacked Sookie's mind, breaking their blood bond, trying to destroy her telepathic gift before being killed by Niall Brigant, Sookiie's great grandfather and fairy prince. Appius did all of this because he knew Eric loved Sookie more than he, and the ancient vampire was consumed with hatred and jealousy.

He described the terrible battle that he fought, and lost, with Bill Compton over Sookie. He had given up, knowing that no matter how it came out, she was lost to him forever. His voice trembled with emotion as he described how he had watched them making love in the cemetery immediately afterward. It was then that he finally realized there was no hope for them. Watching Bill and Sookie together that night nearly destroyed his will to live.

Katy was glad that Eric had lost that battle. In a soft voice, she confessed that although, she felt sorry for what he went through, she was very glad that he was no longer bonded to Sookie. "You are mine, and I am happy that we are bonded with each other now," she told him as she kissed the palm of his hand. Eric's eyes were stark, but he smiled when she said that.

He had been very somber and serious as he talked about his life. Katy decided to lighten his mood and began to tease him. She began to call him, "Old Man," even though she was actually eight years older than him in human years.

As she sat there, she wondered how much longer would he find her attractive? Would he want to turn her someday? Would she say yes? Somehow that thought didn't frighten her as much as it should, but now was not the time to think about it.

Eric's mood brightened. He was amazed at Katy's calm acceptance of him. He knew most human women would have been horrified and sickened by his life story. He pretended to be offended by her teasing. As they began to debark, he whispered in her ear, "Old man, my ass, lover! Just wait till I get you home. I'll show you what an old man I am," as he pinched her butt.

"Promises. Promises," she laughed lightly at him.

An hour before daybreak, Tiffany Coulter sat in the huge first floor parlor in the mansion that served as the gathering place for fangbangers at the king's palace. The beautiful blonde woman had returned two just days ago from California.

Almost six weeks had gone by since she had taken a red-eye to Los Angeles, and a commuter flight home. She had fled after seeing the red haired vamp, Peter Kenyon, attack Ralph Thompson in the hallway outside his apartment. She had wasted no time getting out of town. She spent most of the time at her mother's mansion in Napa Valley, shopping and pampering herself in every way possible.

Her mother was the Congresswoman who represented Napa Valley. Three weeks into the visit, her mother had introduced her to Gaetano Califano at a fund raiser held at the vamp's mansion. Califano was a vamp who owned a large vineyard and was a huge financial supporter. Her mother supported many of his causes and was one of the sponsors of the Vampire Rights Bill in Congress. Of course she had received millions of dollars in donations from Califano and other vamps throughout the United States.

When she was younger, Tiffany had not paid much attention to her mother's friends and political supporters, but her V addiction made her want to get to know Califano now. She soon became a regular at his mansion. The old vamp did not pay any attention to the young blonde, he preferred dark, oriental males; the younger the better.

Undaunted, Tiffany hooked up with a gorgeous dark haired, dark eyed Italian vamp who worked on Califano's security detail. Dante Capelli was twenty eight when he was turned fifty years before. At first, he was intrigued by the new young blonde in their midst. She was beautiful and seemed so innocent, but soon it became apparent how debauched, shallow and self absorbed the young blonde was.

Tiffany's only concern was scoring V, being bitten by, and having sex with vamps. She was conceited and arrogant and caused trouble with the stable of fangbangers they used to serve the needs of Califano's many visitors and mostly male staff. The women, especially, hated her.

Dante showered Tiffany with gifts for a few weeks, drank her blood and had sex with her almost every night. She flaunted that fact and lorded it over the other fangbangers who hung out at the palatial estate. Finally he got tired of her antics and dumped her without warning. Tiffany didn't love Dante, but she sure loved the prestige his attention and presents got from the other girls. It made her feel important and superior.

One night shortly before he dumped her, she accidentally overheard Dante and other vamps talking about some woman called Katy Dumont. They had been searching for her for weeks on behalf of Califano. Their master was very angry that the woman seemed to have disappeared without a trace. From their conversation, it was clear that Califano wanted to kill the woman for some reason.

Tiffany knew the story of the doctor whose ex-husband, father and father in law were pedophiles. She knew the ex-husband and father in law were the suspects in a very ugly sex scandal that included adoption fraud, but had been recently killed in an auto accident. She knew there were other men in the case who would be brought to trial soon. She wondered what a vamp like Califano wanted with Katy Dumont, but she didn't care.

She liked to watch the sort of TV programs that dwelt on that sort of thing. She even saw an old picture of Katy as a tall, slim, beautiful and well-dressed, sophisticated woman with long straight blonde hair. She never associated that picture with the rather thin, short haired, tall redhead who was one of the people posing in picture the red haired vamp dropped in the hallway of Ralph's apartment.

She had come back to New Orleans hoping to gain advantage at court. She expected to be selected by Eric Northman again. She was still in love with Eric and still considered him hers. She just knew that he would not be able to resist her after she had been away so long. She was shocked to find out the changes that had occurred during her absence: Eric Northman, the Vampire King of Louisiana, did not use fangbangers anymore. He didn't even use vampire women as he had done before.

Rumors abounded that Eric had fallen in love with a human woman who ran away from him. He had spent the last six weeks desperately looking for her. "What a fool, that woman is." Tiffany thought to herself. "I'll make him forget that bitch in no time!"

This morning, she had fallen asleep in the front parlor after servicing one of the vamps in their lounge near Eric's office. She was awoken by the sound of voices and footsteps entering from the back door. As the voices came nearer, she saw Eric Northman, and a human woman heading for the large double stairway that graced the grand foyer of the old mansion. The two headed up the stairs toward the king's private quarters. Tiffany was shocked by that; King Eric never allowed the fangbangers upstairs.

The woman was tall and thin with short, red hair; she walked up the stairs several steps ahead of Eric who was talking on his cellphone. Once she reached the first landing, Eric must have said something to her. He reached out and touched her causing her to stop and look down at him. The woman smiled and leaned down a little and touched his face in move that could only be a caress. The look of love in the woman's eyes was clear. Tiffany was stunned, and she wanted to reach out and slap the redhead across the face.

What stunned Tiffany even more was Eric's reaction. He moved up beside the woman, turned slightly and bent his head to kiss her. There, in the tall blonde vampire's eyes, was a look that caused Tiffany's heart to turn ice. The look of pure love and longing for the woman he kissed was so blatant, that the young fanbanger's heart was crushed as it filled with cold rage and jealousy. She wanted that woman dead.

Tiffany's eyes raked over the red head, committing her features to memory as she watched Eric hold the woman close and whisper something to her. She knew that face from somewhere, if only she could just remember. Eric turned and walked back downstairs. The woman stood for a moment then continued to the second floor and disappeared out of sight.

Seconds later, Daniel Brady came walking down the hall. She ran to him. "Daniel, some woman has gone upstairs to the king's private quarters," she told him, half expecting him to march upstairs and drag the woman down.

"That was the king's human. She has a right to be up there; they are a couple now. Now, get out of here and go home," Daniel told her coldly. He didn't like Tiffany; he never had. Some internal warning system told him that there was something really wrong with her. He walked away from her as if she smelled bad.

Jealousy and rage so deep, she couldn't breathe, buffeted Tiffany for a moment. Thinking of how Eric and the woman touched and looked at each other, she was flooded by an all consuming rage, but she also felt the scintillating thrill of a great discovery. The woman with Eric Northman was none other than Katy Dumont, the woman in the red haired vamp's picture. She was the woman that Gaetano Califano wanted to kill. She was a competitor who had to be gotten out of the way, and Tiffany knew exactly how to to do it.

She pulled out her own cellphone. With a shaking hand, she speed dialed a number on her phone.

"Dante, this is Tiffany. No, don't hang up on me! I'm in New Orleans, and you will never guess who I just saw. Someone you have been looking for a long time. You owe me big time, you bastard," she spoke triumphantly to the vamp on the other end.

When finally she hung up, Tiffany started to laugh; it was an ugly, raw sound.

Forty minutes later, Eric slipped into his bedroom. Katy was in bed, lying on her stomach fast asleep and covered by only a sheet. The sheet was down around her hips. He could see the skin of back from the short tank pajama top down to the matching bikini panties that she wore.

For a moment, he stood there and looked down at her astonished. He wondered how this woman had wormed her way into his heart. How had this frail human become such a necessary a part of him that he needed her with every fiber of his being? He felt helpless and so vulnerable now, and he didn't like that at all.

Sighing in resignation, he quickly stripped and lay down beside her inhaling her delicious scent. The smell of her menstrual blood was intoxicating; it aroused him. Pulling her panties down, he slipped his hand between her legs and pulled out the small wad of cotton, he knew he would find there, by its string. He wrapped it up in his shirt and laid it down on the floor beside the bed.

Moving one large hand down low under her belly, he began to massage the bud of her sex with his fingertips. She moaned a little in her sleep. He could feel her harden as ripples of pleasure start to spread out in waves from the spot he touched. In her sleep, she opened her legs, welcoming him.

Moving on top of her, he held her hips up against him as he slipped his shaft deep inside her slick channel. The blood didn't bother him at all. The silky inner folds of her core closed automatically around him and began to pulsate. Moving slowly and surely, he pleasured them both with each stroke until she came awake.

Supporting himself with his other arm, he moved the weight of his body off of her giving her a chance to move with him as he rode her. He kissed her lightly across the the back of her neck and between her shoulder blades. Finally, calling his name and whispering her love for him, she came softly.

He didn't have a lot of time before the sun claimed him. He didn't have time for his own release, but he didn't care. He needed this little taste of her. He wanted to fill her up. He craved being inside her as much as any junkie craved his drug.

In words she didn't understand, he whispered something in a foreign accent that sounded like, "Yog elsker day, Katy," against her ear. Whatever it was, it sounded like words of love. It sounded good to her.

He rolled to the side and pulled her up against him with one leg between hers. He wondered if she would ever let him turn her. He was still inside her as they both fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's note: Again I wish to disclaim any ownership of any SVM character. They are soley the property of Charlaine Harris; I just borrowed them for a moment. My characters; including Katy Dumont, her parents and in-laws and friends, etc. are solely the creation of my own overactive imagination.

I want to thank all of you who have read Dark Desire, especially those who have taken the time to comment on my story. As an author, I appreciate each and every one. I also want to thank all of you who have made my story a favorite or put it on story alert. It makes writing this fic worthwhile.

I am having a lot of fun writing about Eric. He has so much to work with.

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Dark Desire – Chapter 16

The following morning, Katy woke up at noon, dressed and walked out into the hallway. She asked a human guard standing outside the bedroom door where the kitchen was; she was hungry. After obtaining the directions, she walked down the back stairs and into the large kitchen. Four women in domestic uniforms were inside the kitchen performing various tasks, one person was standing over a large stove, one was washing dishes and two others were sitting peeling potatoes and shucking corn.

At the head of a large table, a tall, striking, well coiffed, black human woman was speaking in fluent French to another woman dressed in a maid's uniform. She was reviewing something from what looked like a ledger. She was muscular and fit; her ebony skin was flawless, and her black eyes gleamed with vitality. She oozed an air of authority and confidence. She looked like a no nonsense sort of person, used to getting what she wanted.

"Good morning, Doctor. I am Mrs. Madrid, King Eric's Chatelaine. I manage his household and his human staff, except for the telepaths, of course. By the way, do you wish to be called Dr. Jones, or Dr. Dumont? King Eric gave me both names, and I am a little confused how to address you," she admitted. Her accent was not quite Louisianan; Katy guessed that she had been born here, but had spent many years away.

"Dumont is my maiden name, but Katy is just fine," Katy replied.

The woman continued, "No, that wouldn't be appropriate. I will call you Dr. Dumont, if you don't mind. His majesty left a message for me explaining who you are. I am to make you feel at right at home. I would like to introduce you to my staff and show you around after you have had your breakfast, if that is okay. What would you like to eat this morning?"

Katy smiled and responded as she sat down at the kitchen table. "Dr. Dumont will be just fine. I would love to see the house and meet your staff. A bowl of cereal and some fruit will do, along with some black coffee of course,"

Mrs. Madrid signaled to one of the the kitchen staff who brought over a cup of coffee. Katy began to drink and look around as the other woman continued her conversation with the maid. A few minutes later a bowl of oatmeal, a small pitcher of milk, two slices of toasted homemade bread, butter, jam, fresh fruit and the morning paper were placed in front of Katy, and she began to eat.

After finishing with the maid, Mrs. Madrid refilled her cup from the teapot that sat on a cozy in front of her and began to talk. She explained all of her duties which were quite extensive. One at a time, she began to introduce the kitchen staff to Katy. The women shyly said their names, what they did and bowed slightly to Katy; that made Katy feel a little strange.

Although she took pains not to be obvious, it was clear that Mrs. Madrid was very curious about the strange redhead that the king identified as his human; in fact, all the other women were as well. Still, she did her best to make Katy feel welcome, and soon Katy was enjoying a pleasant conversation.

After finishing her meal, Katy reflexively got up to take her dishes to the sink. "Oh no, Dr. Dumont. The king's human does not do domestic chores. Sally will take care of everything; she nodded to the same woman who had served Katy just minutes before. Sally came over and took the dishes away. Both Mrs. Madrid and Katy rose from their seats. "Would you like to get started?" the Chatelaine asked.

It took more than three hours for Mrs. Madrid to show Katy the house and the grounds around the palace. As they moved from room to room, Mrs. Madrid gave Katy a little history of the place. The palace was relatively new, having been built by the former queen, Sophie Anne Leqlerc, some fifty years ago.

It was a sprawling three story brick and marble U-shaped mansion with twenty two rooms furnished in mostly French provincial antiques and amazing works of art. The first floor included two large parlors, the largest of which was used as a throne room, a huge dining room and kitchen, a morning room, one large office used by Eric, a large recreation room used by the vamps, a library, a well appointed gym, three bathrooms, and an indoor pool. On the second floor, a large three room master suite, including an elegant bedroom, bathroom, and a sitting that room had a door to an adjoining guest bedroom and bathroom, occupied one win. Four smalerl offices, a modest bathroom, and four large guest bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, took up the front and the other wing. The large third floor attic was a warren of small rooms that were once intended as servants quarters, but were used only for storage now. Mrs. Madrid explained that no human servants slept in the palace at night. Next to the heated indoor pool, was a glass house that was filled with a variety of beautiful, exotic cultivated flowers and trees.

Outside in the back was a ten car garage, large parking space, a tennis court and a heated Olympic size pool situated off a fabulous three level Italian tile patio that took advantage of the graceful sloping lawns. In the front and the sides of the mansion, there were well tended flower gardens, a beautiful circular drive way and an expansive well manicured lawn graced by a a huge flowing marble fountain.

"This place is huge. Do you manage it all?" Katy asked.

"I am responsible for running the household and managing all the human household staff, the gardeners, chauffeurs and garage attendants. I report directly to Daniel Brady who is the King's Second in Command. All of the security guards are ex Special Operations Officers, and they are the best at what they do. One of Daniel's human lieutenants manage their day to day operations, but I am responsible for making sure their human needs are met. Right now, I am responsible for more than forty human employees."

"How long have you worked for Eric?"

"For more than a year now. For three years, I partnered with Daniel in New York on the police force many, many years ago, before he left, so he knows me well. About twelve years ago, I moved back to New Orleans and joined the force here. I was born and raised here; both my parents were ailing, and I am their only child, so I felt I had to come back. They both died within two years. I stayed and got married, but I am a widow now. I never liked New York all that much: it's too cold for me."

"My parents both worked for the former Queen, Sophie Anne; in fact, generations of my family have worked for her in New Orleans, and before that in Haiti. I am familiar with the palace since I spent so much time here when I was a girl. I was ready to retire from NOPD, when Daniel looked me up after he became the King's Head of Security. The pay is so much better than the Police Department, and the working conditions are better. Daniel and the King are really good to work for, and I like it here."

"What did you think when you found out he was a vampire? Did that bother you?" Katy asked because she was curious.

"As I said, my parents worked for Sophie Anne since I was a little girl. I have known about vampires all of my life. I actually met many of them here in this very palace. Queen Sophie Anne was interested in me, but I definitely did not share the feeling, so I went away to college and never came back. I ended up on the police force in New York, and as I said, at one time, Daniel Brady was my partner. When we were cops together, we trusted each other with our lives many times. He was a good man, and I got to know him well. He hasn't changed from the person I knew; he's just a vampire now, so it didn't really bother me at all."

All during the tour, Constance Madrid had been taking Katy's measure. She been a cop for more than twenty five years, and she was a good judge of character. Katy wasn't like anything she expected. She had expected a jumped up fangbanger. Connie loathed the desperate women and men who hung around court to service the vamps. They were obsessed with the vamps and were no better than whores or drug addicts. They were unreliable and good for nothing as far as she was concerned.

The woman beside her was clearly intelligent and clearly a lady. She intuitively knew that Katy was not a fangbanger. She intuited that Katy loved Eric Northman the way any woman loves her man. Katy was classy, well educated and well spoken. Daniel had told her Katy's story when she arrived at work before dawn this morning, and it was a real doozy. She was glad the woman had been found and was safe.

"How long have you known the king, if you don't mind my asking? Are you the one he was looking for? If you are, you should know that he was hell on wheels to live with when he couldn't find you. You really got to him. I never saw him like that before," Connie grinned. She was beginning to like the quiet reserved woman she was escorting through the house.

"About two months, I guess, and yes, I suppose I am. Sorry for that," Katy replied sheepishly.

The two women chatted amiably as they strolled. They walked back into the house through the elaborate front entry. Once inside, Connie turned to the right and walked into a large parlor.

"This is where the fangbangers hang out at night. Don't worry, Dr. Dumont. they will never be allowed to bother you or come near you. Between the two of us, I wish those whoring skanks were not allowed in the palace at all, but Daniel says they are necessary for visitors and the vamp staff. They keep the vamps happy. I guess that what's important," she said as she shuddered in disgust.

"I'd appreciate it if you would call me Katy. I really don't like the idea of having them around either, but due to Eric's position, I guess they are necessary. I plan to talk to him about that. Perhaps they could be placed somewhere else."

"Please call me Connie. Daniel says that you are going to start treating the humans on staff. I think that is a great idea. All of my employees make more than minimum wage, but most of them can't afford to to buy medical insurance. Many just can't afford to pay for regular doctor visits or needed tests, so they use free clinics or emergency rooms. As a doctor, you know what a hassle that is. Having you treat people here on site will mean a lot, but I recommend that you charge a small fee to make it seem that they are getting something. We have some rooms in the back that we could convert into a waiting room, a temporary office and treatment room. If you want, we can take another look at them."

"Well, I may charge something equivalent to a small co-pay to help cover some of the expenses, but it won't be much. Eric will susidize the rest. Of course, major problems will still have to be handled at a hospital. Perhaps I can talk Eric in to providing some sort of major medical plan for hospitalizations and the like. I plan to ask a friend who is a nurse to help me out. If this works out, eventually, I hope to open a larger clinic not far from the palace to handle Eric's other human employees," Katy replied as Connie showed her the rooms in question. Katy thought they would do nicely.

Katy continued her tour with Connie at the lead. Everywhere they went, Connie introduced her to the other human employees. Again most of them bowed a little as they were introduced.

"Why are they doing that?" Katy asked curiously.

"You are the king's woman. They are just showing you the respect your position deserves," Connie answered. Katy didn't want the women to bow to her, but she had a strong feeling that it was what Eric wanted, so she said nothing.

"Every human who works here knows that Eric Northman is the Vampire King of Louisiana, but all of them are glamoured so none of them will ever betray him. Both Daniel and I do a thorough background check on each person before they are hired. No fangbanger are allowed on my staff. One of the telepaths sits in on the interview, so we all know they can be trusted. Even so, except for the security guards and a couple of my assistants who have worked for vampires before, all my human staff must leave at least a half an hour before sundown each day. It's just safer that way," Connie continued.

Around four, the tour was over and Katy went upstairs. She met the she met the three telepaths who were in their offices. Jillian Brown was in one office, and Marcy and Robert Godwin shared another. The two women and one man were long time friends of Judith Vardamon who had told them much about her. All three of them tried to read her mind; all three of them failed.

Katy guessed immediately what they were trying to do, but she didn't mind. They were just doing what comes naturally to them. Anyway they seemed nice to her, and she liked them. She guessed that if Judith liked them, they must be okay. After she met them, she went to the bedroom she now shared with Eric. She wanted to be on hand when he awoke.

Later that night, Eric introduced her as his bonded human to his vamp staff. They all looked at her curiously and with obvious sexual interest. Vampires did not often share their blood with a human, let alone bond with one, and that piqued their interest. Plus, the effect of Eric's blood gave her an extra glow of vitality and health. They could smell Eric on Katy, and that alone made her far more enticing than other humans.

Katy paid them no mind, but jealousy and a strong sense of possessiveness made the viking clench his fists as he watched the other vamps react to her. He decided to limit Katy's exposure to vamps to only Daniel, Judith and Bill.

"It's for her own safety, of course," Eric told Daniel when he ordered him to keep the vamps away from Katy.

"Of course, boss," Daniel replied, but he snickered quietly behind Eric's back when he wasn't looking.

Around midnight, Katy was with Eric in his office, when Daniel walked into the throne room with Gwen Jameson who was clearly under his thrall. He had found out where she lived and waited outside her house until she returned home from a date.

Daniel held Gwen by the arm so tightly she couldn't move. When Eric questioned her, she admitted that she had been working for a vamp named Dante Capelli. She had met Capelli the night Peter Kenyon attacked Katy at the bar, and she had been feeding him information on Katy ever since.

Both Eric and Daniel reasoned that Capelli had followed Peter Kenyon, his then boss, to New Orleans where he learned that Gwen Jameson was a federal marshal in the Witness Protection Program. Capelli waited for her to return home that night to try and get information, much as Daniel had done tonight. Capelli was thrilled to find out she was actually Katy Dumont's handler. He glamoured her into working for him. Gwen had no idea who Gaetano Califano was, but she was definitely responsible for the three attempts on Katy's life.

Uncontrollable fury made Eric let loose a stream of invectives at the federal agent. That shocked both Daniel and Katy because Eric didn't ordinarily curse. Gwen shrank in fear as the big, blonde vampire jumped up and grabbed her. His hands closed around her throat and began to squeeze. He was ready to rip her head off when Katy begged him to stop.

"Eric, no. Please!" she begged.

"But she almost got you killed, Katy. She deserves to die!"

"I don't disagree, but if you kill a federal marshal, you will bring the FBI down on you like a ton of bricks. I have heard them talk about that often, and they never, ever, stop looking for the killer; it's like a religion with them. I don't want that for you. Besides, Gwen can be of more use to you if she is alive. She can be your eyes and ears in the bureau, and she may be able to get information from that Capelli vamp that is useful to you. Tell him, Daniel," Katy pleaded with the sandy haired vamp beside her. Daniel flashed her a smile. "She's right boss," he said approvingly.

Katy went on, "Besides, I want her to inform her bosses that I am no longer of use to them. I want a formal letter from the FBI releasing me from Witness Protection, and telling me that I am not a suspect for anything. I want a formal letter from the FBI releasing any claims to my parent's estate. I don't know why Califano is after me, but I want him and those other men to know that I am not a threat to them in anyway. Besides, I want those bastards in the FBI to be completely out of my life forever." Anger suffused Katy's face when she said that. She hated the FBI and Gwen Jameson with every fiber of her being, but she didn't want Eric to kill her.

Eric carefully considered Katy's request, and he relented. When she left the palace, Gwen Jameson had been glamoured so hard that she didn't remember even being there. She was simply consumed with an overwhelming urge to protect Katy Dumont, and to notify her bosses that poor Katy Dumont was no longer useful to them. She was also overcome with the urge to help Katy get her parent's estate transferred to her as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, Katy contacted Mary Lebron and asked her to come to the palace. Mary drove Gene's pick up truck and brought several boxes of Katy's clothing, her medical bag, CDs, sketch pads and other personal possessions that she had packed up when Katy disappeared.

The meeting didn't go as well as Katy hoped. Mary was nervous about being in a vampire's home even in broad daylight. After Katy told her everything that had gone on in the last few weeks, Mary sympathized with her. She asked Mary to work for her as a nurse or physician's assistant at the palace, but Mary refused Katy's offer, even though it meant a sizable increase in salary. It all boiled down to the fact that she was deathly afraid of vampires.

"I'm happy that you have found someone to protect you, but I have two young kids and Gene to think about, Katy. I hope you understand. If you do move the to a location outside the palace, please call me. I would be happy to work with you again. You are welcome to visit me anytime," she told her friend. Katy was saddened when Mary left. She didn't think she would be visiting her anytime soon, and she wondered if she had lost another friend.

For Katy, the next two weeks passed pleasantly. She spent her days getting set her office set up and ordering the equipment she needed. She began exercising with Jillian and Marcy in the gym every morning around nine. If they were around, she had lunch with them, Robert and Connie. Katy and the four other humans got along very well.

Marcy had been a physician's assistant before she agreed to work with Eric. Of the three telepaths, her gift was the weakest, and she often found herself sitting around the mansion with nothing to do. When she found out that Katy needed a nurse, she jumped at the chance to be useful.

After clearing it with Eric, Katy hired her first staff member. On Thursday, their first patient was the cook who had cut her hand deeply with a paring knife while preparing lunch for the human staff. Katy and Marcy worked together to stitch the cut up. The rest of the week had been filled with routine services which was good since it would take weeks to get some of the equipment she ordered.

Katy became a familiar figure in the mansion. To the human staff, she was known Doctor Katy. They smiled at her every time they passed her; they all liked her a lot. The vamps, all except Daniel, began to call her Lady Kathryn; they showed her the respect due to the king's bonded mate.

The only ones who didn't seem to like Katy at all were the fangbangers, especially a blonde called Tiffany Coulter. They resented Katy and her almost complete run of the house while they had to stay penned up in the front parlor until called. They were jealous of Eric's obvious affection for her. They knew she not only had sex with Eric, but she shared his bedroom; they were a little in awe of that. They loathed her for the the time she spent with him. They loathed her for the fact that Eric loved her. "Why her? She's not so special," they all told each other.

The female fangbangers were especially jealous of the pictures of Katy and Eric in the local newspapers as he escorted her around town to various functions. He even occasionally took her to Fangs II, but Katy definitely didn't like the atmosphere of the bar. They had heard the rumor that she was bonded to Eric, but they didn't believe it. They all thought they were much better looking than the tall, thin woman that fascinated the king. They all agreed, she wasn't good enough for him. It was a good thing that Katy never allowed herself to be around the fangbangers long enough to hear the names they called her. It wasn't only Tiffany who would have been happy to see Katy dead.

Katy made it a practice to be in the bedroom when Eric awoke at sundown. They made love every night, but it wasn't the marathon sessions like at first. Because of the bond, he was more attuned to her body and realized how much those sessions tired her out. So, he limited himself to no more than two or three times a night, but he made those two or three times really count. The vamps quickly learned to leave Eric alone for that first hour or two with Katy, unless it was an emergency.

He didn't give her anymore of his blood, although he took a few drops from her every night. When she asked about that, he told her he wanted to be careful; he didn't want his blood overwhelm her. He assured her, they would exchange blood again when he felt it was safe.

Katy played little love games that delighted him. Some nights they would each try to see who could hold out the longest before they succumbed to passion. Eric always won, but he was pretty sure that she let him. He loved the way her body would twist and turn trying to hold back the little quakes of pleasure as he touched her until she could withstand no more.

One night, using a pair of handcuffs she got from Daniel, Katy handcuffed Eric to the bed while he slept. When he woke up, she was astride him and laughing. He was already hard and erect. Sliding him deep inside, she had her way with him. She gasped with delight as she rode his erect shaft until she brought him to the peak of orgasm. Eric seemed to struggle mightily to get free and embrace her, but she wouldn't let him.

She laughed at his struggles until, with his own laugh, he merely flexed his wrists and broke the metal handcuffs as easily as a hot knife slicing through butter. Eric got the last laugh as Katy moaned with pleasure underneath him, telling him she loved him and calling out his name. It was that night, that Katy began to understand the full measure of Eric's strength. Later than night, Daniel teased Eric about the handcuffs. Eric laughed, but said nothing.

Katy chafed at having to stay at the palace unless Eric was with her, but she understood the situation. She wanted to go shopping, to the hair dresser, to go to lunch with Mary, to do anything on her own, but it was not to be, at least for a while. A hairdresser, manicurist and a masseuse was hired to come to the mansion on her second Friday at the palace. By the time, they were finished with her, she felt like a completely different woman.

Katy looked and felt better than she had in many weeks. Her hair was back to its natural color, honey blonde with golden highlights. It had been layered and styled into a breezy easy to care for do. In the past two weeks, the good food she had consumed helped her regain the weight she had lost. With her diet and exercise regimen combined with Eric's blood, Katy looked beautiful, in fact, she looked better than she had in years.

That night, just before sunset, Katy undressed and got into bed with Eric. She lay naked on top of him, her face just inches from his own, waiting for his eyes to open. Eric, of course, felt her on top of him and flipped her over underneath him the moment he awoke.

"Who is this strange blonde woman in my bed?" he growled in mock ferocity as he teased her. He ran his hand through her newly styled hair.

"Just the woman you love," she answered.

"Yeah? Who says so? I can't love a tall, skinny woman like you; you have no breasts, and besides you have freckles," he said as he kissed every freckle on her face.

"I've filled out quite nicely in the past two weeks, don't you think?" she asked. She took his hand and placed it on one of her breast. The small, round globe completely filled up the palm of his hand. "See, it fits just right. Anything more than a handful is just a waste," she teased him back.

"Mmm. I don't know. Let me see that," he said as he removed his hand and rubbed his cheek over the soft flesh. Taking one erect, sweet, rosy nipple in his mouth, he pointed his tongue, circled it several times and drew it back and forth over the tips of his teeth. He began to suck, pulling a little at the sensitive nub. He laughed low in this throat as Katy jumped as if she had been shocked by electricity. The small button began to swell and harden. Wetting his thumb and forefinger, he began to roll the other needy nipple around in his other hand. Extending his fangs fully, Eric bit her her breast gently. He lapped at the tiny beads of blood that pooled on her skin.

Katy bucked up against his mouth as an exquisite electric sensation sent waves of pleasure rippling out from her breast to her groin where a warm welcome wetness prepared her for him. Breathing heavily, she began to sweat as a sweet fire that burned like a sun heated her body. Her heat warmed up Eric's cool skin.

"Like that, huh?" he gloated as he bit again under the nipple, licked, moved to the other breast, and did the same. The feel of his gentle bites, and his cool, wet, slightly rough tongue touching her heated flesh made her feel like she would explode. She squirmed under him, lighting a fire in his body where ever they touched. "Mmm, yes, I like," she managed to choke out breathlessly.

Eric moved slowly downward trailing kisses and using his tongue to trace every rib, and every muscle. When he got to her navel, he painted the small depression with his tongue and nipped a little more as she trembled from his touch.

Suddenly, his arms surrounded her waist. He held her so tightly, she almost couldn't breath. Sensing her discomfort, he relaxed a little, laid his head on her stomach and inhaled over and over as an unexpected storm of emotions churned chaotically through him. Happiness, love, contentment, lust, fear for her safety, possessiveness, jealousy and a sense of total helplessness reeled around and around in his brain.

Eric knew that every time they made love, the bond between them grew stronger and stronger. It had only been two weeks, but he needed the heat of her body as he fell asleep with her in his arms every morning. He needed the way she woke him up every night with her little games. He needed the way her eyes adored him as she watched him whenever she thought he wasn't looking, or they way they shown with love as he made love with her. He needed her with him, always.

He was truly happy and content for the first time in more than a thousand years, and that made him afraid. He wondered how he had ever lived without Katy. He wondered what he would do when her frail mortal body succumbed to disease, age and death. He hated the thought of that.

Katy thought she could feel dampness on her stomach. "What is it, love? What is wrong?" she asked.

He didn't say anything for long seconds, but finally he said, "Nothing is wrong, lover. Everything his perfect," he said; he realized it wasn't time to bring the subject up, but someday he would. He was terrified of how she would react.

He continued his journey down her body and finally, he reached his destination. Gently spreading her legs and with slow deliberate strokes of his tongue, he began began to lick the folds of her sex, nipping gently with his fangs. He found her swollen blood engorged clit and began to suck lightly. Katy gasped as her hips automatically rose to greet him.

He slid two fingers insid, and she began to move hard against his fingers trying to drive them in even deeper. Eric coolly stroked her once, twice, three times, slowly, agonizingly, moving his fingers in, out and sideways against the walls of her vagina until a long sibilant moan of pleasure escaped Katy's lips as her juices streamed into his mouth.

Slipping a third finger inside, Eric began to move fast, mimicking what he would do later with his long, hard shaft. After a few moments, he moved his hand and grabbed the soft mounds of her of her buttocks and pulled her close, sucking at her sensitive sweet spot once more. Katy moaned with a sense of abandonment as his fingers withdrew. Her moan was cut short as his mouth captured hers for a long searing kiss.

When Eric drove himself deep inside her, Katy shouted with joy. It was if he was trying to attach himself to her. He buried himself hard up against the mouth of her womb. Hesitating for a just a moment, he began to move so fast he was a blur of motion. Katy tried, but couldn't keep up; she was overwhelmed with pleasure, love and lust. She let the delightful sensations carrying her away.

By this time, neither one of them could longer form a conscious thought as their bodies slammed hard into each other. Katy drenched them both with sweat. Their bodies made glorious smacking and sucking sounds until they came both hard together. Great tremors of pleasure repeatedly rumbled through them both until they screamed out together in release. Eric's essence flooded into Katy; he kept coming and coming and coming.

In their lounge on the floor below, ten vamps felt the ceiling and walls rattle as if an earthquake had hit. The headboard knocked against the bedroom wall as Eric furiously pumped into Katy. With their hearing, the vamps heard Eric's deep voice call Katy's name as his orgasm came. They heard her lighter voice answering with his name. As if hit by a powerful gestalt wave, ten pairs of fangs ran out at the sound and the strong smell of raw, primal sex. The vamps were growling and hissing.

The fangbangers heard it too. They began to become aroused and instinctively began to move toward the vamps. Seconds later, they poured into the lounge. The humans had no time to undress before the vamps were on them. The vamps and the humans went at it on the sofas, on the chairs, on the tables and on the floor in a fantastic orgy of sex and blood. The room resounded with growls and cries of lust and passion for at least an hour.

No one got hurt. They all got what they wanted. They didn't care who saw or heard them one bit.


	17. Chapter 17

Dark Desire – Chapter 17

The following week was busy for both Eric and Katy, but was an exceptionally difficult time for Katy. Except during the time they made love, Eric kept his bond with her closed down so that she could not feel his emotions. Katy was a doctor. She was dedicated to the saving of life, and Eric was in a killing rage most of the week. He was afraid Katy would be overwhelmed and disgusted by his violent emotions. He did not want her to know how worried he was for her. He especially did not want her to know what he had done that week.

In the past two weeks, Katy had grown used to their shared blood bond. Feeling Eric through the bond had become as natural and normal as breathing to her. When Eric shut the bond down on his side; she felt the loss of their intimate connection keenly; she felt incomplete. She tried to talk to him and tell him that, but Eric was evasive. He assured her that he loved her, and Katy did not doubt that for a moment. However, when told her not to worry, and that everything was all right, Katy got really concerned. Katy knew Eric was up to something that he didn't want her to know about. She was worried for him; she was frightened too.

What Eric didn't want Katy to know was that he had sent his vamps after more of the human defendants on the FBI's list. With their deaths, there were only a three more left. He also didn't want Katy to know that four of Califano's vamps showed up at the the palace early in the week to present themselves as visitors in the area. The California vamps were unaware that because of Daniel and Bill's continuing investigations, Eric had a file on each of them and knew exactly who they were.

Before the end of week, all four had been captured on palace grounds trying to sneak inside the mansion. During their initial visit at the palace, the four vamps spent a great deal of time with Eric's vamps in the employee lounge. They each drank from a fangbanger, had sex and swapped stories with the Louisiana vamps.

By seemingly inadvertent comments by a new vamp guard, Califano's men had been deliberately led to believe that security at the palace was extremely lax. The young male vamp bragged how he got his human lovers into the palace for trysts. He spoke in a conspiratorial voice when he told them that King Eric was too overconfident of his security measures. He laughed when he told them that it was so easy to get into the palace unnoticed right under his boss' nose, and no one was the wiser. It was a trap, of course.

The vamps fell for the trap and plotted to kidnap Katy from the mansion, but they were immediately caught. They were tortured for information in a special room above the garage. Eric staked and killed each one personally after finding out what they knew:

Although, Gaetano Califano knew by now that Katy was no longer a witness for the FBI, he was still driven by the obsession to find and kill the woman he thought was responsible for the huge loss of his revenue. Because of Tiffany Coulter's telephone call to Dante Capelli, he knew Katy was living with Eric at the palace. He sent four of his top men to New Orleans to get her and bring her back to California. He had a particularly nasty fate in store for her.

That Friday, Katy met Eric's child, Pam Ravenscroft, for the first time. The meeting did not go well for Katy. Pam arrived from Shreveport to spend a few days with her maker before a meeting with all of the vamp sheriffs scheduled for the following Monday night.

Pam was aware of Katy Dumont's situation: she had listened to Eric talk about it for hours on the phone and when he came to Shreveport. He had also told her what Bill and Daniel's men were doing in California; she knew Eric was slowly taking out the humans involved in the sex scandal. She also knew that he even had some vamps killed both in New Orleans and California, and that frightened her on a deep level. Pam was convinced if word of any of this ever got out, only trouble would follow. Pam wanted to try once more to convince Eric to dump the troublesome human woman that he now called his.

Earlier, during the five weeks that Eric had searched for Katy, Pam began to actively dislike the human female she had never met. She could sense Eric's growing love for Katy and his increasing worry and distress as the search showed no results. Eric often raged at his men for not being able to find Katy. Pam thought he was out of control once more and began to worry all over again.

Most of all, Pam feared that Katy would eventually want to run again and hurt Eric, as she believed Sookie had done. All during the search, she had argued vociferously with Eric, insisting that he come to his senses and forget about Katy, but he ignored her.

Pam arrived at the palace about midnight. Eric and Katy were playing chess in his office when she walked into the room. Eric jumped up to embrace his child then introduced her to Katy. Pam could tell that he was strangely excited, and that he wanted her to like the tall, thin human woman, but Pam greeted Katy coolly.

After the introduction, Eric, Katy, Pam and Daniel Brady went to Reggie's restaurant where Katy ate a late meal while the vamps drank True Blood. Pam was disgusted watching Katy eat. Later, the four of them stopped off at Fangs II and stayed until closing. All during the night, Pam watched Eric's human lover closely, looking for signs that she was playing Eric false.

In front of Eric, Pam was was civil and almost courteous to Katy, but behind his back, she made her contempt and dislike for her maker's lover obvious. Katy did not know what to expect from Pam, but she had not expected open hostility. The vamp's constant scrutiny and dislike made her feel uneasy, but for Eric's sake, she tamped those feelings down hard.

Katy knew the small vamp clearly disliked her, but she had no idea why. Through their bond, she knew how important it was to Eric that she and his child like each other. Katy tried hard to be friendly with Pam, but her attempts were futile. She did her best to hide her discomfort over the situation, but Eric noticed it anyway.

When they returned to the palace, Katy went upstairs to go to bed. Eric asked Pam to come into his office.

"What are you doing, Pam? Why so hostile with Katy?" he furiously asked his child.

"You should be asking yourself what you are doing, Eric. Why are you getting involved with another human? What is so special about this one? Haven't you learned your lesson yet? You have said yourself that humans are inferior and not to be trusted. Do you really think you can trust her?" Pam hissed at him.

"Be careful what you say, Pam. Katy is my human, and I love her."

"But, Sookie..."

"Katy is not Sookie, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah, well you loved Sookie too, and look what happened. This woman will betray you just like Sookie did; she just can't help herself; it is her human nature."

"Sookie and I were not meant to be, Pam, and I think you know that. I took her from Bill. She loved me, but she always loved Bill more, and I always knew it. That's why I hated him so much."

"You had a right to take Sookie. You are Bill's superior in every way," Pam insisted.

"Did I? We both know that I broke our own vampire code by taking a human that belonged to another vampire. It wasn't just that Sookie was a telepath, or even that she was so different from other humans; she was so obviously in love with Bill Compton, really in love with him. I was jealous of that. Humans don't usually love us. They are glamoured by us, they are addicted to our blood, they want sex with us, but really love us, no. I wanted what Bill had. She wouldn't come to me willingly, so I connived and tricked her, and then I lost her. Sookie wasn't meant to be mine; I know that now."

"But..." the little blonde started to say.

"No buts, Pam. You hate Sookie, I know that, but I don't. If I hadn't loved Sookie, I don't think I would have understood what I feel for Katy now. From the first night that I met her, I felt a strong connection to Katy, much stronger than what I ever felt for Sookie. I know now that Katy felt that connection too, but because of Sookie, I fought those feelings. I didn't want to love Katy, and I drove her away because of it. I almost lost her for good; I won't lose her again." Eric warned.

"But, you just can't trust a human, Eric. Humans are inferior; they are only good for food and fuck. You taught me that. Katy is just like Sookie; she ran from you, remember? She will end up hurting you just like Sookie; is that what you want?" Pam replied in exasperation.

"She ran because of what I did to her, and I don't blame her. It was only during the search for her that I finally admitted to myself how much I love her. We are blood bonded now, so I know she loves me..."

"You bonded with her? Oh, God, Eric! I don't believe it. How could you yoke yourself to another human that way? How do you know she loves you? It could be the blood bond making you think that, just like Sookie..."

"Enough Pam!" Eric raged. "Katy is not Sookie: I tricked Sookie into the bond and into the marriage; I never gave her a choice, and she resented that deeply. She did not like sharing herself with me, or feeling my emotions. She never really knew if what she felt for me was real, or if it was only the blood bond at work. I always sensed her doubt, confusion and resentment, and I don't blame her for that."

"With Katy it is so different. There is no doubt, no confusion and no resentment. She loved me before we bonded, but I gave her the choice, anyway. Katy thrives on the blood bond, she wants it. You are my child, Pam, but Katy is my bonded mate. You don't have to like her, but you must understand that she is part of my life now. I will not let anyone or anything separate us," Eric warned his child firmly.

Pam opened her mouth to argue more, but the look on Eric's face stopped her. "Yes, Master," she said quietly as she started for the door of his office. She turned and asked him. "Have you asked to turn her?"

"Not yet, it's not the right time, but I will one day, and you know what, Pam? I think she will agree."

Pam nodded her head, walked out the door and headed upstairs to the bedroom next to Eric's. She could hear Katy moving inside Eric's bedroom as she passed. She hoped for Eric's sake that he was right, but she vowed to kill Katy if she ever hurt him.

Katy had showered and was laying naked in bed with the lamp on medium. She had on one of her favorite CDs; it was a collection of love songs. She was reading a novel as Eric walked into the bedroom. He showered quickly and slipped in beside her. He took the book out of her hands, set it on the night stand and drew her close. He began to kiss her, trying to drive away the uneasiness he knew she felt.

Katy was wild as they made love. For the first time she actually asked him to bite her several times. He was delighted that she wanted her blood inside him. She bit him several times too and greedily sucked at his blood. It made him even happier that Katy wanted his blood inside of her. This was the first time she took his blood since they bonded. Eric didn't need the bond to understand that Katy needed the security of their shared blood bond more than ever tonight after the cold reception from his child. He gave his blood to her willingly

If Katy was wild, Eric was pensive and thoughtful. Katy felt he had something on his mind. "What is it, love?" she asked him afterward as he held her close. Suddenly, as if he had come to some momentous decision, Eric got up from the bed and walked naked into his closet and switched on the overhead light. Katy could hear him muttering something as he rummaged around, opening and shutting drawers. He was clearly looking for something.

The room was cool, so Katy put her nightgown on and sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed waiting for him. When Eric returned to the bed, he was holding something behind his back in one hand. With his other hand, he pulled her to a standing position in front of him and presented her with an antique, gold encrusted, wooden box. The wood was so old it had a shiny patina and was almost black. When Katy touched it, she knew the box was ancient. It felt warm and magical somehow.

"What's this?" Katy asked.

"Open it and see," was the enigmatic response Eric gave as he sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. She opened the box. It was lined with red satin and contained a heavy gold ring. The ring had a large, stunning, perfect ruby in the center. Katy owned a large collection of jewels herself; pieces that she had inherited from her grandmother and mother, plus what bought herself. She recognized immediately the value of the ring in the box; it was priceless.

Both the inside and the outside of the golden band were filled with strange markings that looked like writing. The letters looked upside down, backward, L-shaped lines of varying size and height. From the color of the gold metal, the weight of the ring, and the odd cut of the ruby, Katy could tell that the ring was not a modern ring. In fact, it seemed very, very old.

Eric took the ring out of its nest in the box and cradled it for a moment in his palm, then slipped it on the tip of his pinky. It barely went down past his fingernail. After playing with it for a second, he slipped the ring on the slim, third finger of Katy's left hand. It fit as if it had been made for her; it felt good.

"My parent's marriage was an arranged one. My mother was the daughter of a neighboring prince, and their marriage brought not only a large dowry, but a much needed political alliance. My mother was beautiful, and my father grew to love her very much. He had this ring made for her, but he never had the chance to give it to her before she died. He gave it to me before he died himself. I planned to give it to Aude, but for some reason, I could never bring myself to do it. I think it was because I never loved her. The markings are runes asking the gods for both a blessing and protection for the loved one who wears it. I want you to have it. I love you Katy. Will you marry me?"

Katy was flustered; she had not expected this. For a moment, she was so shocked, she could not talk, or even think. Eric read her silence as rejection. His blue eyes darkened with pain as he started to turn his face away.

Katy reached out to him and turned his face her again. "Eric, you know I love you, I just wasn't expecting this. You've made me so happy. I will be proud to be your wife," she whispered as she brought his mouth down to hers. She spent the last few minutes of nighttime, showing him exactly how happy she was.


	18. Chapter 18

Dark Desire – Chapter 18

When Katy arose Saturday morning, she kept the news of her engagement to Eric to herself; he wanted to be the one to break the news. All day long, a smile was plastered on her face. Connie and the three telepaths kept asking her what was up with her, but Katy only grinned at them.

Today, Katy and Marcy had one only patient in the clinic's infirmary: the human wife of one of vamps on Eric's security force. Except for Daniel, Eric had not wanted Katy to mingle with the vamps on his staff. However, since the palace was now her home, it was inevitable that she would interact with a few of them, at least.

Katy found that she was more comfortable with vamps who had been turned relatively recently and who maintained a relationship with their human families and friends. To Katy, they seemed more human and less scary than some of the older vamps who often made her nervous and wary. Katy began to like some of the vamps. Tommy Lee Larson was one of them, and Rita Jo was his human wife.

Both Rita Jo and Tommy Lee had been orphans and raised in a series of foster homes. Abused, cynical and without much hope for the future, they met each other at the age of sixteen at their last foster home. Love came slowly to the two teenagers, but they found in each other a reason to live. They wanted to build a life and a family together.

Married at the age of twenty, and with Rita helping him, Tommy Jo finished two years of college and joined the NOPD at the age of twenty three. Rita took business courses herself and worked as a bookkeeper for a small bank in the French Quarter. For years, the young couple tried to have a baby with no success.

Rita Jo and Tommy Lee had been married for five years before Tommy went missing during the surveillance of a well known drug dealer. One year later after he disappeared, Tommy showed up on her doorstep. He had been attacked and turned by that suspect who happened to be a vampire; his first year as a vampire was so filled with horror and bloodlust, he was afraid to go anywhere near his beloved wife. It was only after he felt his hunger for human blood was under control that he felt safe enough to come back home.

When Tommy Lee went missing, Rita Jo began a search for her missing husband. She went on America's Most Wanted and several other TV programs to try and find out any clues that might lead to her husband's whereabouts. She posted handbills with his picture on it; she went door to door; she searched and searched. She never gave up, but her efforts proved fruitless for twelve months.

The night she answered a knock at the door, turned on the porch light, and saw Tommy Lee standing there through the window, Rita Jo broke down and cried; she thanked God. She stepped out onto the porch and held her husband in her arms, kissing his face all over. She knew something had happened to him; he was pale and cold, and he couldn't enter the house without an invitation.

That night he told her what he was and swore he would never hurt her. Rita Jo was shocked at his revelation, but she didn't care. She loved him, and she knew he wouldn't hurt her. For two weeks, she had no idea where he slept during the day, or that he fed on animals in the woods. During those two weeks, the Great Revelation occurred and Rita Jo started stocking synthetic blood. By that time, the two of them had light proofed their bedroom. The vampire, Tommy Lee Larson, slept with his human wife from then on.

It was only after he started using True Blood that he trusted himself enough to bite and drink from Rita Jo during lovemaking. He only took a little sip each time; he was too afraid of hurting her. Soon she began to bite him back. Without a maker to teach him about the dangers of blood swapping, Tommy Lee and Rita Jo formed their own blood bond shortly after that. Once Tommy Lee started working at the palace, Daniel Brady took the young male under his wing and began to teach him how to be a vampire. The two men had a lot in common and became good friends.

Tommy Lee and Rita Jo both wanted a large family. Six months before he went missing, the young married couple began treatments at a well known fertility clinic in New Orleans; they had ten embryos frozen for implantation at a later date.

After Tommy Lee's return, Rita began to distrust the fertility clinic she had initially used. They knew of her husband's return, and they had somehow learned he was now a vampire. They had started asking too many invasive and personal questions to suit her. She became wary of their intentions and had moved her frozen embryos to another facility ran by a vampire. Nine months ago, after three previous unsuccessful attempts at impregnation, two embryos were implanted, and a successful pregnancy ensued.

When Katy first examined Rita Jo, she suggested it would be safer for the thirty year old woman to give birth in one of the city's many hospitals, but Rita Jo refused. If the baby came at night, she wanted Tommy Lee to be at her side during the birth. That never would have been permitted in a human hospital. Besides, her child would be the first recorded human child of a human/vampire couple born in New Orleans, and both mother and father were terrified that the baby would be taken away by the human authorities. After finding out that Katy had opened a clinic at the palace, Rita Jo became Katy's second patient.

Katy admired the woman's spunk and determination. Although she she did not think it was a good idea for a human baby to be born with so many vampires around, she finally consented to accept Rita Jo as a patient. Today, Rita Jo was was in labor. Perhaps it was the result of her husband's blood, but the labor was fast and easy. It looked like the baby would be any time. On Saturday evening, two hours before sundown, Thomas Lee Larson, Jr. was born.

Later, shortly after sundown, Eric stood with Katy in front of Jillian Brown, Marcy and Robert Godwin, Connie Madrid, his child, Pam, Daniel Brady, and the rest of his vampire staff and announced that he and Katy would be wed in Vermont on New Year's Eve. A second human wedding ceremony and reception would follow at the palace on New Year's night followed by a vampire wedding ceremony before dawn. All palace staff would be invited to participate in the festivities. The humans and the vamps erupted in applause.

Eric then announced the birth of Tommy Lee Larson, Jr. if the vamps were shocked about the announcement of their boss' impending marriage to his human, they were posititively excited about the birth of a son to one of their own. After congratulating the happy couple, everyone including Eric, crowded around Rita Jo's bed in the infirmary, watching her as she nursed her tiny son. Katy, Connie and the human telepaths stood in the background; Pam stayed on the outside of the room looking bored with all the human bullshit.

Tommy Lee unwrapped the child and lifted him up face forward so that all could see his sex. With both hands firmly holding the baby under the arms, he held his naked son up in the air high over his head. "I have a son! I have a son! He's mine!" he crowed in elation.

There was no doubt as to the parentage of this tiny human; not only did he look like his father, all of the vamps in the room could smell Tommy Lee's blood in the small boy. They sent up a shout of joy and clapped their friend on the back.

Katy could see happiness, but also naked envy and longing in the faces of most of the male vamps, including Eric. They would never know that joy themselves, and she felt pity for them. It wasn't the first time that she realized that in certain respects, male vamps were no different from human males: they all wanted a son from their own loins. Katy hoped that, perhaps one day, science would be able to help them.

Tommy Lee walked over to Eric and placed the newborn in a startled Eric's arms. He said, "Your Majesty, I present to you my son, Thomas Lee Larson, Jr."

Katy held her breath and everyone gawked as Eric gingerly held the wiggling, squalling child in his arms. The tall viking looked totally nonplussed for a moment. Suddenly, he held the baby up, much as Tommy Lee had done, and announced, "As your king, from this day forward, let it be known that Thomas Lee Larson, Jr., son of Thomas Lee Larson, Sr., is forever under my protection, as is his mother, Rita Jo Larson." Katy could have sworn, Eric gave a sigh of relief as she took the baby from him and gave him back to his mother.

Eric, Daniel, Pam and the other vamps left the infirmary, each going to their respective ways. Eric had court tonight and his agenda was filled. Pam, sick of all the mushy human crap, decided to hit Fangs II for a while. There was a pretty, new human waitress who struck her fancy. She hoped to get lucky tonight. Daniel had reports to make, plus he wanted to call Judith and tell her the news. Connie and the telepaths left to go home.

Katy stayed with Rita Jo until Tommy Lee came off his shift; then she showered and went to bed. She was so tired, she barely moved when Eric finally crawled in beside her. Kissing the hand that wore his engagement ring, Eric pulled her close and fell asleep beside the woman he loved.

Over the next few days, word of King Eric Northman's engagement to his human lover, Katy Dumont, spread like wildfire through the vampire community both in the United States and abroad. Eric's cell phone never stopped ringing as a flood of congratulations from business associates, and vampire kings and queens around the world came in. Most of the callers expected an invitation to the ceremony at the palace; it was going to be a grand affair of state.

Sunday night, Bill and Sookie Compton and Judith Vardamon arrived at the palace to offer their own congratulations. Sookie thought it was finally time to meet the woman who had captured her former lover's heart.

Katy was in the infirmary with Rita Jo helping her to get ready to leave for home when Judith and Sookie walked in. Tommy Lee was waiting patiently outside in their SUV. After checking to see that the car had a proper baby seat, Katy let the two parents leave.

Judith had told her all about Katy, but Sookie wanted to see for herself. She was impressed by the quiet and reserved woman; Katy carried herself with an air of self-confidence that was very attractive. She seemed very intelligent and had a caring heart. It was clear that she was liked at the palace. Sookie could recognize the affects of Eric's blood on Katy, but she could tell the other woman was beautiful in her own right.

Later, when she saw Eric and Katy together, Sookie could tell that the two were in love. She tried and failed to read Katy's mind, but Eric's was an open book. She read his feelings for Katy loud and clear. She could also read the echo of Katy's feelings for Eric in his mind; it was a strange sensation. Sookie knew that Eric had formed a blood bond with Katy. Just for a moment, she felt a twinge of jealousy, but it quickly faded when she saw Bill standing beside Eric.

Even though Katy felt her own brief twinge of jealousy when she first saw the beautiful blonde telepath who was introduced to her by Judith, meeting Sookie was much easier than meeting Pam. Sookie was nothing like what she expected. Katy knew some of Sookie's story, and knew she had been through a lot. She was amazed that the telepath had managed to survive it all and not go insane.

Sookie seemed to radiate her own brand of happiness. The effects of her own blood bond with Bill made her positively glow. She was clearly in love with her husband, and her marriage to Bill was a happy one.

Over the last year and a half, she finally talked to a psychologist and learned to deal with the post traumatic stress caused by the violence, and the many vicious attacks on her life, including the vicous mental assault by Eric's maker, Appius. This last year and a half of her life with Bill had been peacefu and almost staid with their growing human and families. Sookie was more so grateful for that.

Sookie had matured during this past year in ways that she never expected herself. Gone was the judgmental, immature girl who hated her special gifts, and who always acted before she thought. Gone was the girl with the ponytail who wore cheap perfume, and tacky, too tight clothes that revealed too much cleavage and skin. Gone was the girl that most people thought was not too bright, who wore a false smile on her face to hide her feelings. In her place was a well dressed, graceful, clearly intelligent, self-assured woman.

Under Judith Vardamon's friendship and guidance, Sookie had developed her own sense of style and taste in clothing. Bill could afford the best and he delighted in taking her shopping at the best couturiers in the United States and in Europe. Judith often accompanied them, and the two most important females in his life had a field day, much to Bill's amusement.

At first, Sookie protested the expense, but soon she discovered that she liked beautiful clothes, shoes and jewelry. She began to like the attention. She a body that most women would die for; good clothing always looked right on her. With her hair cut and properly styled, she looked nothing like the waitress in shorts and a T-shirt who worked at Merlotte's; in fact, she had stopped working there months before marrying Bill.

Katy liked Sookie's quick wit and friendly manner. She was feisty and brave and earthy and spoke her mind. She seemed to have no hidden agenda, and Katy could tell that Eric's former lover bore her no grudge. Sookie liked her as well. As she foretold many months before, she and Katy would become friends.

Sookie asked about Katy's medical profession. She admitted that she was seriously considering going to college and studying medicine herself. During the past year, she had discovered a new ability: she could touch someone and tell if they were sick. She could even tell what was wrong with them. She wanted to do something with that ability. She laughed sarcastically when she said it was a "gift" from Appius, Eric's maker. He attempted to destroy her telepathic gifts before he was killed by her great grandfather, but instead of destroying them, he had actually enhanced her abilities.

Later that night, Sookie sat naked in front of an antique dressing table in their guest bedroom at the palace. They had just finished showering, and Bill stood behind her and began to brush her freshly washed hair. The strokes began to lull her into a state of relaxation and pure bliss.

When Bill was done, he sat the brush down and ran his hands lightly down her arms. He sighed happily as he pulled her back against his naked body, inhaling her delicious scent as he did so.

She could feel his erection high and strong against the bare skin of her back. Familiar silvery shudders began to course through Sookie's body. A sweet languid liquid heat warmed her groin. Her thighs began to tremble and feel weak. Bill's touch always made her feel that way, and she knew it always would. She sighed with happiness.

Standing up, she turned and pressed herself up against Bill's chest, deliberately brushing her tightened nipples against his skin. Bill groaned and grabbed the soft round mounds of her butt and pulled her closer to him. Lifting one of her legs and wrapping it firmly around him, he dipped a little and rubbed his hardened shaft between her legs, against the soft, silky and deliciously wet folds of her sex, but he didn't enter her.

Holding her with one arm, he slipped two fingers inside and laughed against her throat as she began to rock against them. She cried out as her first orgasm hit.

Bill trembled at the feel of her soft, silky skin as it touched the super sensitive skin of his organ. He got harder, longer and wetter. Sookie shuddered and reached up to pull his mouth down to hers, but he stopped her.

"Katy is a very nice woman, and I like her. Are you sorry now that you aren't married to Eric? Katy will be his royal consort; someday, Eric may even make her his queen. Does that make you jealous, sweetheart?" he whispered softly Through their bond, he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it out loud.

"Oh, Bill. There never really was anyone for me, but you. Don't you know that by now?" she whispered to him as she kissed him until he was panting. It was something he did for her just because he knew how much she liked it.

"Show me!" he demanded in a hoarse voice. Sookie pushed him backward on the bed; she kissed the tip of his penis and flicked it lightly several times with her tongue. Bill let out a guttural moan and tried to grab her; he wanted to pull her under him and mount her. Instead, Sookie shook him off and mounted him like a stallion and rode him, each stroke slid him deeper and deeper inside. She bucked up and down, grinding against his pelvis, until they both came in a shattering climax For the next several hours, Sookie Compton showed her man exactly what he wanted.

Another love scene was playing out in Eric and Katy's bedroom, but Katy didn't ask Eric anything about his former lover. She didn't need the bond to know exactly how Eric felt about her. She could feel Sookie was only a distant shadow in Eric's heart.

Both of them were naked and laying close together on the bed. Holding both of her hands above her head with one of his, Eric was lightly stroking her body with the other, and watching as her skin reacted to his touch. He laughed lightly as he slowly and deliberately started to erotically torture her.

Starting out with her mouth, then her throat, her nipples, her stomach and finally her swollen clit, he aroused her with his mouth, his tongue, his other hand and his damp, hardened erection. Eric sucked, licked, nipped, touched and rubbed her super heated skin until he brought Katy to the peak of climax time and time again, then backed off only to started again. He was driving her crazy.

With the way, he was holding her, she could only squirm and twist to try and get close to him, but he backed off inches away and wouldn't let her. He did this until Katy thought she would explode into a million piece from wanting him. Her body was slick with sweat and quivering from head to toe; every nerve ending screamed for him to take her.

"Oh, please, please..." she begged. "You're killing, me, Eric." Finally, he could no loner hold back his ever growin, urgent need to be inside her and slammed his full length hard into her channel and began to stoke with vampire speed. Katy shuddered and cried out with each movement. Unbelievable sensations engulfed her and made her lose all coherent thought. Passion, pleasure and an exquisitely erotic, but wonderful pain, rippled through her like waves on the ocean.

She could feel the muscles of her inner core tighten, and tighten, and tighten again, like a coiled spring. Finally, Katy came in one hard explosive burst as she cried out "Eric, my love!"

"Are you happy now, lover?" Eric sighed happily as he looked deep into her glowing eyes. The love and the lust in her beautiful gray eyes, endlessly fascinated him. Knowing that look was all for him, thrilled and exciting him on a deep level. He had never wanted to pleasure, or be pleasured by, a woman as much as he wanted this with Katy. He had never loved a woman as much as he loved this woman.

Katy shifted upward, and clenched her inner muscles tightly around his still engorged shaft and began to move herself. The creamy, liquid heat of her orgasm flowing arounding him felt like heaven to him. "Oh yes! I'm happy!" she cried as he bit her neck and came hard deep inside her.

Later, lying side by side, their bodies spent and exhausted, they held each other close and proclaimed their love for each other. They both knew exactly how the other felt, but they loved hearing it too. Surrounded by his arms, Katy told him, "I was born to be with you[ I want to be with you forever."

"Do you mean...? Eric was terrified to complete the sentence.

"Yes, after we are married, I want you to turn me, if you want to. I have no reason to stay human, and I don't want to lose you, ever," she declared.

Eric couldn't answer. He buried his face deep into her throat. She could feel the tears on his face; she could feel his body shake with emotion. She knew through their bond how happy her words had made him.

Several days later:

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving brought welcome news for Katy when two official letters from the FBI were delivered to the palace: The first letter released Katy from the Witness Protection Program stating that her testimony was no longer required. The second letter confirmed that she was not, and never had been, considered a person of interest. This letter also confirmed that her parent's estate was being released to her, immediately.

Upon receipt of the letters, Katy contacted the estate attorney in Wakefield Cove. He had received a similar notification that the Dumont Estate was no longer blocked. He assured her that as soon he received a signed bond from her, he would finish all estate business, file all tax returns, and disburse the remaining funds according to her instructions. He told he she should have the money before Christmas.

Before the end of their conversation, the attorney also gave Katy the name and number of her Aunt Mathilda's estate attorney in Philadelphia who had been trying to contact her ever since her aunt's death. After a short conversation with the second attorney, she was informed that she was the sole beneficiary of the Mathilda Rothschild Estate.

After reviewing emails from both lawyers that gave detailed reconciliations of each estate, Katy was floored. With her own sizable wealth, Katy knew that she was now worth well over five hundred million dollars. She was absolutely staggered by that news. Since Judith Vardamon was staying at the palace all this week, she decided to talk to her about handling her finances.

Judith had come down the past Sunday for the meeting with Eric and his vamps on Monday. She wasn't Eric's subject, but she happy to have any excuse to visit the palace. It had been over two weeks since she had seen Daniel Brady, and she missed him so much more than she thought she ever would. Judith had known for a while now that she was starting to fall in love with the short, sandy haired male vamp, and he seemed to be falling in love with her. Both Katy and Sookie had teased her often about her growing feelings for Daniel.

That Wednesday night, Judith met Katy in the sitting room of the master bedroom. When she reviewed the FBI letter and the faxes from the two estate attorneys, the small vamp's mouth dropped.

"Oh, my God, Katy. Did you know about this?"

"No." was the simple reply.

"But how is that possible?"

"I knew my parents were wealthy, but I had no idea of how wealthy, especially my mother. My father was from a wealthy family himself, but most of this came from my maternal grandfather Harold Thorsson," Katy explained.

Having been in the investment business for more than seventy years, Judith knew exactly who Harold Thorsson was; she actually met him several times. One of the richest men in America for a long time, Thorsson was a wealthy shipping magnate from California, who was also invested heavily in the new, up and coming, computer industry when it was brand new. He also owned an investment bank that Judith had done business with when her own company was in its infancy. Harold Thorsson had died five years Katy was born. At that time, rumors had it that his estate was in excess of one hundred million dollars. Under the capable management of her grandmother, Enid, the estate grew sizably.

"I had no idea you were related to Harold Thorsson, Katy. I knew him and liked him," the small dark haired vamp said.

"Yes, my grandfather was a very private man. No one knew all that much about him or his family because he deliberately kept out of the limelight. My mother and my Aunt Mathilda were his only children. Now I am his only living relative.

My parents never discussed money with me; they considered it tacky to discuss finances; it just wasn't done. I know now that we lived a privileged life, but we were never ostentatious. My parents wanted me to be independent, and not spoiled. I didn't get everything I wanted. They kept me on a small allowance when I was growing up. They sent me to public school, even though most of my best friends went to private school. We went once a year on vacation to Europe, but most of my friends traveled more. My mother always said, she wanted me to live a "normal life."

As planned, Katy asked Judith to be her financial manager. Judith readily agreed. Katy Dumont would become one of her company's top clients

Katy then discussed her plans to set up a foundation for sexually abused children from any money she received from her father, John Dumont. Katy didn't want any of her father's money. She she felt it only appropriate to use his money to help abused children since he had molested so many children in his life. She asked Judith's help in getting the foundation set up. Because of her many philanthropic works, Katy asked Judith to be CEO of the foundation which would be based in New Orleans., and she agreed.

Judith was getting ready to leave when she turned and suddenly asked, "Does Eric know about the size of your estate?"

"Not yet. As far as I know, Eric knows nothing about my grandfather, Harold Thorsson. Most people don't even know that I am related to him. Eric knows I have inherited my parent's estate, and he may have guessed that I have inherited my aunt's, but we have never talked about either. We have never really talked about money, but I guess we should. Anyway, I don't see any reason to tell him right now, do you? I want to surprise him after we are married, so please don't tell him." Katy replied.

"Good move, Katy. For your information, I never discuss a clients affairs with anyone else, unless authorized to do so. I would never have stayed in business so long, if I had done so," Judith assured her.

She continued. "You know this could not have come at a better time. I have been considering relocating my investment company to New Orleans for a while now. I am going to be down here for at least a month while I look for a house and a place for by business. I can do that at the same time I start setting up your foundation. Hopefully everything will be taken care of by the time you are married."

"You're moving here because of Daniel, aren't you? I know you are falling in love with him," Katy teased her friend.

"Perhaps," was the cryptic reply Judith gave, but she had a big smile on her face.


	19. Chapter 19

Dark Desire – Chapter 19

The next evening around ten o'clock, Katy, Judith and Sookie were in Katy's sitting room talking while Eric, Bill, Daniel, Pam and the other vamps were in his office holding another meeting. Something big was going on that Eric didn't seem to want to share with Katy. He had shut their blood bond down once again. She tried earlier that night after they made love to get him to talk about it, but he wouldn't. Before he shut their bond down on his side, Katy had the distinct impression that whatever it was, it involved her and the men who were chasing her.

Katy was furious as she stomped out of the bedroom, yelling at him, "Why do you do that? You know I really hate it when you shut down your bond; I hate it when I can't feel you! I know you are up to something. It would be a lot easier if you just tell me what is going on. I am not a child and I don't like being treated like one. I don't like being kept in the dark!"

Katy was afraid that she sounded like a petulant child, but Eric's highhanded way of shutting her out when he wanted to was getting to her. She wished she could do the same thing from her end once in a while, just to let him know what it felt like, but she couldn't.

Eric did not want Katy to know that he had several humans killed last week because he considered them a threat to Katy. He planned to kill the rest of them soon. He also did not want Katy to know how much danger she was in from Gaetano Califano. He was sure he could keep her safe at the palace. After everything was over, he would tell her what was going on...maybe.

Earlier tonight, Daniel had found out from Gwen Jameson that Dante Capelli and Gaetano Califano were arriving in New Orleans later tonight. After using his sources, Bill found out that Califano had plans to visit the palace with Nan Flanagan from the American Vampire League and with the Magister. Eric was stumped by this move by Califano; and he wanted all of his vamps to be on the alert.

Suddenly, Katy asked Judith, "What is it like to be a vampire? Do you like being one?"

Judith was startled by the question. "Why do you ask? I thought you knew I was turned against my will. I would give anything to be human again. Do, I like being vampire? No, but it is what I am, I can't change that."

"I've asked Eric to turn me after we are married." Katy told the two women with her.

In unison, both Sookie and Judith said, "No!"

"Don't let Eric do that to you, I beg you, Katy. You will regret it. You have no idea what it is like to be a monster. That is what you will become if you become one of us," Judith cried out.

Sookie seemed angry, "Did Eric convince you to let him turn you? He wanted to turn me too, but I refused. That bastard!" she proclaimed loudly.

Katy was surprised by the passion in both of their voices. She replied hotly to the two of them, "First of all, Sookie, I asked Eric to turn me. He has never said anything to me about it. Second, do you really think of yourself as a monster, Judith? Do you think that Daniel, Bill or Eric are monsters for that matter? I sure don't."

"All vampires are monsters, Katy. Whether we want to be or not, we are monsters; we can't help ourselves. We live on human blood; we have all killed humans to live. I have killed humans, so yes, I am a monster too." Shame and remorse filled the small vamps eyes.

"No, Judith. I don't know when or even why you killed before, but I know that you are not killing humans now. I know about the store of donated human blood in your basement. I know that you still feed from humans from time to time, but I also know that your donors are willing. You are one of the most gentle people I have ever met, vampire or human. You are not a monster. I will never believe that," Katy defended her friend ferociously.

"As for you Sookie, you made a choice not to become vampire. I respect that, but I am making a different choice. I love Eric, and I don't want to lose him. I want to be with him forever," she continued.

"But Katy, vampires don't stay together; they can't unless one totally enthralls the other. I know you don't want that. You have a better chance of keeping Eric if you stay human," Judith warned her. She was alarmed by what she heard her friend say.

"I am already eight years older than Eric in human years, I don't want to get any older. How long will he find me attractive if I do? I don't want to chance losing him. I know that you think vampires can't stay together, you have told me that before, but I know you loved Bill, and I know that you love Daniel now. Are you completely sure that you wouldn't have stayed with Bill, if he didn't love Sookie? I have heard of a few vampire couples who stayed together for centuries, and it is not because one is in thrall to the other. Eric has told me sometimes a vampire has a special gift that makes other vampires want to stay with them. I will just have to take my chances with Eric. It is worth the risk," Katy said firmly.

Sookie shot back, "But Katy, don't you want to have children someday? Don't you want to walk outside in the sun? Don't you want to eat food and do the things that humans can do? Don't you get it that you have to die to become a vampire. Don't you want to be alive?" It chilled her to think that Katy would willingly give up her life to be with Eric. It also made her feel envious that Katy was willing to do so, when she could not even imagine it, even to be with Bill.

"When Richard and I were married, we talked about having a family some day, but it was never a pressing issue with either of us. So, frankly no, I don't really care about having children. Besides, you won't be having children of your own if you stay with Bill, either. Are you planning to leave him because he can't give you a child?" Katy asked.

She went on, "Sookie, I can understand your decision: you have a reason to live. You still have living family who want you to stay human, but I am the last living member of my family. I have no one to care if I am turned or not. The other things don't matter to me; I think I will be gaining more than I am giving up. Judith, I really believe that you and Daniel truly love each other. I believe that you will stay together for as long as you want. Look, you two; human relationships often break up, so there are no guarantees there either. I love Eric, and I want to stay with him, it is as simple as that. This is something that I have given careful thought to; it is not a sudden whim on my part." Katy said softly to the two other women.

Sookie shook her head to protest more, but then she stopped. She looked as if a light bulb went off in her head. "You know maybe Katy is right about Daniel, Judith. Ever since I met him, I have sensed he is different from most vampires too. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out why. You know that Bill has fae blood, Judith, don't you? Well, now I realize that what I have sensed in Daniel is fae blood too; it is faint, but it is there. I wonder if that will make a difference..."

Judith was thunderstruck, she opened her mouth to speak, when a knock sounded at the door. When Katy opened it, Tommy Lee Larson stood there. "Eric wants to see you in the throne room, Lady Kathryn," he said.

The three women got up and followed him downstairs. In the throne room, Eric sat on his elaborate chair. The room was filled with his security vamps; there were no humans in the room, except Katy and Sookie. Katy walked up to Eric, who stood up, embraced her and kissed her.

In front of the throne stood four vampires that Katy didn't know. Two of the male vamps were dark haired and olive skinned; they looked looked like they were of Mediterranean descent. One of these vamps, a short, stocky male with an ugly pock marked face, looked at her with decadent eyes that were filled with hatred. He seemed to reek with danger and evil, and it made Katy shiver. To one side of him stood a taller, handsome and obviously younger male. His hard brown eyes were merely filled with curiosity.

A third male was was thin and less than average height. He was of indeterminate age, but he seemed old and gray; not just his hair, but his skin. His black eagle eyes looked contemptuously at her, he had the look of power and authority. If possible, he seemed even more evil than the first vamp; his very presence made Katy quiver in fear. The fourth strange vamp was a hard looking, skinny, middle age blonde female who reminded Katy of many the female politicians she had met. It was clear that she was afraid of the gray vamp beside her.

"Miss Flanagan, Magister, Mr. Califano and Mr. Capelli, I would like to present my future wife, Katy Dumont. Katy, Mr. Califano is here to demand that I turn you over to him. He claims that you have harmed him. He brought the Magister and Miss Flanagan to bolster his case. What do you think of that?" Eric said in a calm but deadly voice. His voice was so cold that it contrasted with the hot anger and menace radiating from his every pore. Katy had never seen him look so dangerous.

The Magister spoke in a cold, bored voice, "King Eric, Gaetano Califano is a major financial supporter of the Vampire Authority. He has made serious charges against you and that woman to the VA and to the American Vampire League. Califano claims that woman has tried to clear her father's name by shifting the blame for his sickening crimes to him. We cannot let a vampire be slanderedby a human that way, especially now with the VRA up in the air. King Eric, Califano claims that you have killed other vampires that were in his service."If it is true about the woman, she must be handed over to him to do what he wishes with her. It is only fair. As for you, vampires killing other vampire is a serious offense, especially over a mere human. Even kings can not get away with that. We are here to ask you some questions. We are here to determine the truth. Did you kill vampires in service to Gaetano Califano?"

"What, I don't understand..." Katy started to say.

The Magister turned his cold, dark evil eyes on her, his contempt growing moment by moment. "Shut up human! You are not to speak unless spoken to!"

Califano jumped in. "Northman, I know you have been killing humans and you have killed my vampires. It's all because of that bitch! Let me have her, I will get the truth out of her. " He began screaming invectives at her in Italian.

"I suppose you have some proof of these wild accusations, Califano ? Why on earth would I want to kill humans? Why on earth would I want to kill your men?"

"Because she was going to testify against me. She was going claim that I was behind that sex scandal with her husband and father in law, not her father. She was going to claim that her father was just an innocent victim of circumstance. She was going to lie and perjure herself on the stand with her wild claims about me. I am a legitimate businessman, but her claims have cost me millions of dollars in lost revenue because of it. I …?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know you. I never met you before in my life, so how could I testify against you?" Katy moved closer to Eric and grabbed onto his hand. She hoped her voice did not show the fear she felt.

"Gaetano Califano runs the sex trade business in California, Katy. He arranged those "sex" trips your father, Richard and his father took. In fact he arranges a lot of trips like that for human men all across this country. Since your story came out, he has lost a lot of his business because his customers are afraid to be exposed. That's why he is so angry. He was behind those attacks on you when you were with the federal marshals," Eric snarled; his fangs were fully extended. He was clearly in battle mode as were Daniel, Bill and the other vamps.

Nan Flanagan and the Magister turned to look at Califano. Surprise and disgust was evident on their faces. "Oh, he didn't tell you that did he, Magister, Miss Flanagan? I have irrefutable proof. What do you think humans will do whey they find out that one of your biggest supporters is a pervert who deals in human trafficking and the sex trade? How do you think that will affect the VR?" Eric asked them.

"He is a liar! I am a legitimate business man. I had nothing to do with that, no matter what that bitch told him," Califano sputtered.

"Don't bother to deny it, Califano. I have your human intermediaries on tape. I have the federal marshal who was selling Katy out to your man on tape. Tapes that will find their way to the media, if you don't back off." Eric pointed a big finger in the direction of Dante Capelli and snarled at him. The much younger vampire flinched.

Katy burned with fury and hate as she remembered the day her ideal life came to an end. That was the day she looked at the incriminating pictures and tapes of her father, Richard, and Mr. Wakefield. That was the day she suffered a near fatal beating at the hands of her "loving" husband, Richard. She remembered being shunned by her community and the harassment and threats she endured at the Wakefields' hands. She remembered her father killing himself and her mother because he couldn't live with fear of James Wakefield and the guilt of what he had done. She remembered Richard's pursuit of her, and the beatings, and the years of running and hiding in the Witness Protection Program. She remembered her aunt dying old and alone in some godforsaken hospital. She remembered how afraid she was when gunmen shot at her in New Orleans; she had barely escaped with her life. She lost control.

With her fingers curled into claws, Katy forgot what Califano was and launched herself at him. She wanted to tear his eyes out; she wanted to kill him. Eric was faster; he stopped her before she could get more than a few inches. Katy was kicking and clawing at Califano. She was cursing, using words she never used before, as Eric pulled her back and threw her into Bill's arms. Bill pushed her behind him, but not before she screamed, "You dirty, rotten pervert, Califano. I hope you rot in hell!"

At the first sign of Katy's movement, Califano snarled; his fangs were fully extended. He started toward Katy, and with a vicious swipe of his hand, he tried to rip out Katy's throat, but several vicious punches from Eric knocked him across clear the room. Several of Eric's vamps led by Tommy Lee were on him in a flash, dragging him back to face Eric, the Magister and Nan Flanagan. Daniel and another vamp were holding Dante Capelli by both arms. He couldn't move.

Nan Flanagan looked shocked speechless. The Magister simply stood by and watched as this all went down. "Answer the question, Northman. Did you kill other vampires? Was this woman going to testify against Califano?" he said again.

"No." Eric lied smoothly. "I would like Califano to show you proof of his claims. Perhaps his men simply disappeared because they are disgusted with that pervert, but you are welcome to search the palace and its grounds." He knew that his torture room had been thoroughly cleaned. There was no clues to what happened to the four vamps who tried to sneak into the mansion, and Daniel's men had left no evidence in California either.

Katy spoke up again. "I didn't know Califano was involved in anything. I didn't even know he existed. The only people I really knew anything about was my father, and the Wakefields, so there is no way I could have testified against him. I have a letter from the FBI stating that I am no longer needed as a witness for the prosecution. I can show it to you; besides, I don't even know if the trial is even on anymore. I understand that most of the humans charged in the case are dead."

"I've seen the letter Magister," Eric spoke up. Judith and Daniel stepped up and said that they had seen it too.

"I think I still need to question this human," the Magister replied.

Eric flew in front of the old gray vamp, and snarled. "If you ever touch my woman, you risk a war with me and Niall Brigant, Prince of the Fae. Is that what you and the Authority want, Magister? Is that what the AVL wants, Miss Flanagan?"

The Magister and the AVL representative looked back and forth at each other in astonishment. "Do you know who you are speaking to? You can't talked to us like that; I will have your fangs!" Nan Flanagan snarled, her own large fangs glistened in the light, so did the Magister's.

"Oh yes I can. There are many vampires who think your efforts at getting the VRA passed have been ineffective to say the least, Miss Flanagan. There are many of us who think the Authority is less than useless when it comes to vampire affairs, Magister. There are many of us who would be more than happy to be rid of you both. Don't threaten me or my human, or you may start something you can't finish. I am serious when I tell you that you will not only have to contend with me, but with the fairies as well. I have a common defense treaty with Niall Brigant. You may ask his great grand daughter; she is standing right here." Eric pointed to Sookie Compton who had stepped up to stand beside Katy with Judith on the other side.

"He is telling you the truth, Magister. The treaty exists. If you go to war with Eric Northman, you go to war with all the fae too." Sookie said firmly.

The Magister and Nan Flanagan looked shocked and closed their mouths tight.

"On the other hand, if you leave this piece of garbage to me, I will dispose of it for you," Eric said slyly as looked directly at Califano. The old Italian vamp looked petrified.

"Excuse us for a minute, Northman," Nan Flanagan said. She and the Magister walked to a far corner of the room and spoke for a few minutes. The Magister was stoic as he stood, but Flanagan's arms and hands flailed in the air as she talked. They walked back to where Eric and Katy stood.

"We have come to an agreement, King Eric. We will close this investigation on two conditions: One: We will expect large donations to both the AVL and the VA from you within the week. Two: since she is to be married to you anyway, we want you to turn this human tonight; we will witness it. If she is a vampire, there can be no question of her testifying against another vampire in a human court, can there?" Nan Flanagan smiled falsely at Eric and Katy.

"No." Katy said. "Not tonight!"

All eyes turned on her. Eric had a shocked and disappointed look in his eyes.

"Why not tonight?" Nan Flanagan asked suspiciously.

"Will you deny my betrothed the dowry he is due as my future husband? I have asked to be turned by Eric, but not until our wedding night. If I am turned now, Eric may not receive that dowry." Katy looked at Judith and nodded significantly.

"What are you talking about?" Nan Flanagan said angrily.

"Katy is right. She told Sookie and me tonight that she wants to be turned after she is married. She is the only living heir to her parent's and her aunt's estate. She will receive her parent's estate sometime next week, if, and I stress the word if, she is still human. Her aunt's estate estate has to finish probate before she gets anything. That won't happen for another four weeks at least. If she is turned now before any funds are released, she won't be able to inherit either as a vampire," Judith spoke up loudly so everyone couid hear.

"I don't care about that Katy; I love you," Eric started to protest, but Nan Flanagan nodded. She said, "That is right, Northman. That is one of the things we are trying to change with the Vampire Rights Amendment."

"Eric, I am the only living relative of Harold Thorsson. Do you know who he was?" Katy asked him. Eric nodded in shock. Of course he knew who Harold Thorsson was. His name was all over freight containers and several companies including an investment bank. At one time, he had been one of the richest men in the country.

"Between my aunt and my parents, I will inherit over five hundred million dollars after taxes are paid. After we are married, except for my father's estate which is about one hundred million, half of everything I own will be yours, but I actually have to get it first. I planned to tell you that after we were married. It is my wedding gift to you. Surely we can wait. I love you. I say here before everyone, I want you to turn me on our wedding night," Katy said simply.

The throne room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Then everyone seemed to gasp at the same time; the room began to buzz with excitement. Eric was the most stunned and surprised of all; he was completely speechless. For the first time in his long life, the tall, golden viking did not know what to say. He could not get his head wrapped around what Katy was giving to him as a dowry; his own personal wealth paled by comparison. He never once considered asking about her wealth.

Pam, was speechless too. For the first time since she found out about Katy, she began to see the tall, thin blonde in a new light. "Maybe she does love Eric. Maybe I can learn to like this woman," she thoought to herself.

"What will happen with your father's estate?" Nan Flanagan asked.

"His entire estate will go to create a foundation to help sexually abused children. You know the kind of kids that my father and husband, his father and that monster over there hurt for so many years. I can't think of anything more fitting to do with his money." Katy said quietly. "Of course, Eric and I will be more than generous with any donation to the AVL and the VA after we are married, and after I am turned. Say five million dollars each;is that right Eric?"

"Oh, at least five million dollars each, love," Eric found his voice as he embraced Katy and pulled her close to him. He was smiling as Califano looked on struggling futilely against his captors.

The Magister spoke up, "That seems more than satisfactory. Of course, you will invite me to perform your vampire wedding ceremony and to officiate at the turning, won't you Northman?" His voice was oily and so, so friendly now.

"Of course, Magister. We will be honored to have you. Miss Flanagan, we will be glad to have you as an honored guest also," Eric spoke quietly, but with heavy sarcasm in his voice. Both the Magister and the AVL representative nodded solemnly. They both turned to leave.

The Magister said, "Come Califano. You have not proved your case against King Northman and his bride to be. Be on your plane and leave New Orleans tonight. If I ever see your face or those of your vampires in Louisiana again, I will have you silvered for the perverted creature that you are. Do not think you can continue in your preferred trade, or your own Magister will give you a call. Vamps like you harm our cause with the human population."

It didn't take a genius to understand that the Magister didn't give a damn about humans, even the children who had been sexually exploited, but money was a whole other thing. It showed in his dry, cold emotionless voice. His greedy eyes gleamed in anticipation of the handsome donation the VA would receive; it would enhance his position within the VA. Nan Flanagan's manner and looks showed she was in complete agreement. The four vamps marched out of the throne room.

Four hours later, around two thirty in the morning, a private business jet took off from a small private airport just outside of New Orleans. Gaetano Califano and Dante Capelli were inside with two other vamps. Califano was cursing Katy Dumont, Eric Northman, Nan Flanagan and the Magister. He had been defeated tonight, but he would live to fight another day. Capelli sat quietly and looked at his boss with scorn, but he was careful not to show how he felt about the pitiful, useless vamp that was his boss. He planned to leave his employ as soon as they returned to California.

The plane was in the air less than a minute, when Eric Northman, Bill Compton, Daniel Brady, Pam and Tommy Lee Larson erupted out of the cargo hold. In total silence and in less than thirty seconds, the four vamps and the two human pilots were dead.

Bill killed Dante Capelli with one swipe of his hand tearing off the younger vamps head. Daniel finished one of Califano's guards off by tearing out his heart. Eric took pleasure in staking Gaetano Califano. He made it last as long as possible. He held the stake against the other vamp's chest for a moment and grinned ferally, as Califano opened his mouth to scream; but no sound came out. His black, evil eyes showed his terror. Then Eric pushed hard and the old vamp was gone. Tommy Lee finished off the vamp that was closest to the cockpit with a stake. Pam wrenched open the door and killed the two humans inside just as quickly.

While Eric and Bill waited in the passenger cabin, Daniel and Tommy Lee set Semtex plastic explosives in strategic places throughout the cargo hold and the passenger cabin. Opening the passenger cabin's entry door, five vampires jumped out into the night and flew toward the ground. Three minutes later, out over the waters of the gulf, the plane exploded into a fireball, disintegrating completely. The five vampires who were safely on the ground by now, watched as pieces of the wreckage fell into the water. There would never be any clue as to what happened, even if the black box was located. The vamps and the humans did not even utter a sound during the whole tihng.

"Let's go home boss; three more humans to go, and it is finally over," Daniel said to Eric.

Eric nodded silently. He knew the remaining humans were of no consequenc; they would die quickly. At last, Katy would no longer be in danger. At last, she would not have to stay penned up at the palace. At last, the two of them could start living a normal life. Eric was happy with this night's work; he opened the bond between him and Katy and let his love for her pour through.

Katy was Judith and Sookie. The three women were waiting in Katy's sitting room for their men to come home. When Eric opened the bond, Katy shivered; she felt his love swamp her, and she gasped with joy. She sent her love right back to him.


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter; the last couple of weeks have been busy ones. This chapter is a short, but necessary one.

Once again thanks to all of you that have read my story and taken time to review. As an author that is our payoff.

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Dark Desire – Chapter 20

Earlier that evening, Tiffany Coulter stood in the fangbanger parlor doorway as Gaetano Califano, Dante Capelli and two other vampires walked through the elegant marble entry and were escorted down the long hall to the throne room. As he passed, Tiffany called out to her recent lover, but Dante just turned his head slightly and glared at her with a sneer on his face. That made Tiffany furious: not only had she alerted the male vamp to Katy Dumont's whereabouts, earlier that week, she had called again to inform him that King Eric Northman was going to marry the bitch.

"Yum! Whose the good looking vamp? He looks like he knows you well, Tiff. He doesn't like you much either, does he? Seems nobody does." A snarky laugh sounded behind her. Tiffany could see the reflection of the gorgeous brunette in an ornate eighteenth century French Provincial mirror on the wall directly across from the parlor door. Evie Zalman, the newest fangbanger was standing there along with ten other girls and one guy. She had arrived at the palace while Tiffany was in California, but in the short time that she was there, she had become the de-facto leader of the group.

With her lush figure, creamy skin and light blue eyes, Evie was the new favorite of many of the vamp guards; it was a position that Tiffany once held, and she hated the newcomer for that. The two women had started off on the wrong foot the first night that Tiffany returned from California. They had fought over one of the vamp guards; two other vamps had to pull them apart. The women hated each other ever since, and Evie seemed determined to drive the beautiful blonde away, but what Tiffany hated most was the fact that the other fangbangers actually seemed to like Evie; they had never liked her.

"What's the matter; you don't like the competition?" she had snarled at Evie one night after a particularly vicious quarrel.

"Competition, my ass. Why don't you just leave? No one wants you here any more, you pathetic liar. Most of the guards can's stand you. Don't you know that?" The brunette laughed in her face.

It was true: since she returned, Tiffany was usually the last choice when the vamps needed servicing and often not selected at all unless by a vamp visitor. She was convinced that Evie and the others had told Daniel about her boasts about being Eric's favorite, or were spreading malicious rumors about her, but Tiffany had no intention of leaving. She was determined to get Eric Northman's attention one way or the other. She considered the tall blonde he was sleeping with now as as a temporary set back, at least until she heard about their engagement.

Tiffany had learned about about Eric and Katy's engagement and wedding plans along with the other fangbangers the night Eric announced it to his staff. The news spread through the palace like a wildfire; it was all the vamps could talk about when they called the women in to their lounge that night. There were several vamp visitors that night and Tiffany had been kept very busy, but they were not the one she wanted to be with. She wanted to be with golden blonde viking; she wanted to be the woman in his bedroom, not Katy Dumont.

The fangbangers looked down their noses at their perceived imperfections of the tall, thin doctor who had captured their vamp king's heart. All of the fangbangers at the palace were selected for their physical perfection; average people never made the grade at court. Like most fangbangers; they were all weak, shallow, empty vessels addicted to V and vamp sex. Amoral, conceited and egotistical, they believed he should have chosen one of them. They could not understand why his eyes glowed with love whenever he looked at Katy; they would never understand the attraction.

Ever since they learned of the engagement, all of the fangbangers, even the males, were consumed with jealousy and envy of Katy Dumont. They hated her even more when they found out she was trying to convince the king to kick them out of the palace because she didn't want them in her home. "Who does she think she is?" they snarled and griped when they found out.

Their puny emotions did not compare to the black cloud of hatred and rage that filled Tiffany Coulter. Her hatred for Katy Dumont was a living breathing thing. She felt that Katy had stolen what was hers, and she was determined to get him back.

Tiffany hated Evie Zalman almost as much as she hated Katy Dumont, and Evie Zalman felt the same way; there was no love lost between them. When she first came, Evie had tried to catch the king's attention on many occasions, but she failed. The king was always preoccupied; he never seemed to chose any woman vampire or human. After a few days, she heard from the vamps that Eric was looking for some woman named Katy Dumont. She wondered what the missing woman had that was so special. She redoubled her efforts, but Eric never looked at her once.

By the end of the first week, Evie had most of the other fangbangers eating out of her had. When the others talked the blonde, Tiffany Coulter, who often bragged about being the king's favorite, she hated the beautiful blonde sight unseen. When Tiffany arrived back from California after a month, Evie focused that hatred like a laser beam, getting the others to mock and razz Tiffany mercilessly. Since Tiffany had always acted like she was better than the rest, the others readily jumped on the bandwagon.

Tonight, Evie and the others had been on her case and riding her hard from the first moment she walked into the parlor. Tiffany was ready to explode, but she dare not do it. She had several arguments with the other fangbangers, and Daniel Brady had forcefully warned her that one more fight would result in her being banned from the palace for good. He said he wouldn't tolerate someone who caused so much disruption; she was on thin ice and everyone knew it.

Daniel had chewed her out in front of the others and that embarrassed her; she stayed away for two nights then Daniel had her summoned for some visiting vamps who had asked specifically for her. Knowing that Evie had seen Dante Capelli snub her tonight was painful. Choking her rage back, she threw a fiery look at the brunette; it was so hot, it could have melted steel. "Piss off Evie!" she hissed over her shoulder.

Holding her head up straight, she walked down the hall to the bathroom used by the fangbangers. She could hear Evie laughing, and she wanted to strangle her. As she sat down on the stool, her shoulders slumped; she felt deflated like a hot air balloon. She felt like the fat high school girl who had been taunted by her classmates, and she hated the helpless feeling it gave her.

Leaving the bathroom, she noted that the other fangbangers seemed occupied watching television. Taking advantage of the situation, she crept down the hall toward the throne room. The door had been left slightly ajar, so she she stood quietly to the side and listened. The occupants were not trying to mute their voices, so she heard everything. She was not worried about being discovered since every eye and ear inside the room was focused on what was happening up front between King Eric and Califano, Nan Flanagan and the Magister.

She was surprised to find out how important the two other vamps with Califano and Capelli were. Her heart sunk at the charges made against Eric; she knew enough about vamps to know that killing another vamp was a capital offense. She also knew that if the two vamps had any proof, Eric could be dead before they walked out the door. She loved Eric; she didn't want anything to happen to him.

She heard Katy talk about her inheritance and how she planned to give half of it to Eric as a dowry after they wed. Tiffany came from money, so that didn't bother her much. It was Katy's comment that she had asked Eric to turn her after their wedding that stunned her. It was Eric's willingness to turn Katy that destroyed any hope she had of winning him back; she knew that meant Katy and Eric would be together forever.

Tiffany prayed to God that Nan Flanagan and the Magister would not agree and insist that Eric turn Katy over to Califano. She knew what Califano planned for Katy and wanted her to die a horrible death at his hands. When Nan Flanagan and the Magister signaled their agreement, Tiffany wanted to die herself. As Califano and other vamps swept by her in the hallway when the meeting was over, Tiffany realized she both she and Califano had failed: there was no getting rid of the tall, thin blonde now.

Stifling her fury, Tiffany dragged herself out of the palace and drove to a human bar nearby; she didn't want to see another vampire tonight. Entering the bar, she spotted Ralph Thompson sitting alone in a booth. She didn't much like the human male, but she didn't want to be alone tonight. She found herself sitting down beside him. "Remember me?" she asked Ralph.

"Oh, yeah. We have some unfinished business, you and I," he leered suggestively as he ordered her a drink. While they waited, Ralph began to paw at her. To stop him, she began to talk about Eric Northman and Katy's engagement. Ralph's face flushed a furious red when she mentioned the blonde's name. He had heard of the engagement; it seemed almost everyone in New Orleans knew about it now.

From the reaction on Ralph's face, Tiffany knew she found a kindred spirit: someone who hated Katy Dumont as much as she did. She wanted to talk to him more about that, but not in the bar where they may possibly be overheard by someone.

"Let's go to my place," she told him. After Ralph scored some V from a human in the bathroom, the two left together and Ralph followed her to her apartment. They were both sitting on the living room sofa drinking scotch and doing a line of cocaine when Ralph told her again how Katy and Eric humiliated him. "I hate that vamp loving bitch. Someday she will get what she has coming to her," he roared.

"You're not the only one who hates her. She deserves to die," Tiffany roared right back at him. Thirty minutes later, she crushed an aspirin in a ceramic bowl and dropped a large bead of V on it. Mashing it up good with a pestle, she put it on her tongue and kissed Ralph. Suddenly, it was if they were both flying high over the palace. They could see inside the walls; they could see Eric and Katy making love in their bedroom Tiffany and Ralph shared a common hallucination about Katy Dumont's death. The hallucination aroused them both mightily.

The V made them both feel powerful and invincible. It made them feel lust like they never had before. Their clothing was in tatters as the two had sex on the living room floor. Tiffany told Ralph it was the best sex she'd ever had. She was lying to him, but she needed him; he gave her ideas.

For a week, Ralph stayed at her apartment. They lived in a drug and sex induced high. They consumed quantities of booze, cocaine, crystal meth and more V. When they were capable, they fucked each other stupid. They rarely ate; they rarely bathed; they swam in their filth for days, but they plotted and planned.

On the eight night, Tiffany showered, ate a good meal, dressed up, put her make up on and went back to the palace. She would be a good girl from now on; she had a purpose now: find a way to kill Katy Dumont before she married Eric Northman.


	21. Chapter 21

Dark Desire Chapter 21

January 4th, the next year.

The woman regained consciousness. Her face was against something cool and firm. Whatever it was, it smelled so good; she wanted to go on smelling it forever. She felt strong cool arms holding her and realized she was sitting astride a man's lap with her face pressed against his bare chest. He was rocking her back and forth slowly and crooning to her softly in a strange language. She didn't know who he was, but for a few seconds, it seemed so right that she be held by this man. She unconsciously moved her arms around him to hold him and splayed her hands against his back. He shivered at her touch.

She moved her head to the side a little and tried to open her eyes. She wanted to see who he was. Her eyelids felt so heavy, but after a few tries she finally managed it. All she could see was shadows swirling around the room. The rocking movement was making her feel dizzy and nauseous; she opened her mouth to ask him to stop.

Suddenly an agonizing pain shot through her. She gasped as every nerve ending in her body screamed in protest. She felt as if thousands of hot burning knives were slicing through her flesh, flaying her alive. Her head hurt so bad, and her body was on fire.

She felt his strong arms holding her so tightly that she felt like she was being crushed; she couldn't breathe. The pain was so strong she vomited over and over.

"Oh God! Where am I? Who am I? What's happening to me?" the woman screamed as she tried to focus her eyes. The shadows were lessening, but they were still there; they felt ominous to her.

"Amy, she's awake!" a deep mellifluous voice yelled and pulled her closer. He sounded relieved and elated for some reason.

"I can't breathe." she said, and the arms relaxed. She could smell her vomit; it made her nose sting on top of everything else.

She could hear a door opening and the footsteps of several people coming near. Voices exclaimed loudly as if some miracle had happened.

"Oh, Katy. Thank God. We thought you would never come back to us," another soft feminine voice said. She had no idea who it was, and at this moment she didn't care.

"Lay her down on the bed, Northman. I need to examine her." a stern, deep feminine voice said.

She felt every movement as the big man stood up, and carefully laid her down on a soft bed. His hands were big and calloused, but they were gentle as they held one of hers. His touch seemed familiar somehow, and his skin was cool; it felt so good against her burning skin. She raised his cool hand to her cheek.

Her eyes were clearly focused now as she looked at him. She saw a tall, large, blonde man standing beside her. He was so beautiful that he took her breath away. He was a stranger, but he looked familiar too. "I should know him," she thought, but the more she tried to remember who he was, the more her head hurt, so she stopped trying.

He looked down at her, and she could see that he was crying, but something was wrong with his eyes. Suddenly the woman was terribly frightened; it looked like the beautiful man was crying tears of blood. That made her own blood freeze.

"Who are you? What are you?" she whispered in a frightened voice.

"I'm Eric; your husband, Katy," he answered.

"Who is Katy?"

"You are, lover. You are Katy, and I am Eric, your husband. Do you remember?"

A different memory stirred, and she shuddered in fear. "No. I have a husband, but his name isn't Eric; it's Richard." The blonde man flinched at her words. As soon as she said the name, "Richard," a feeling of horror overwhelmed her. She remembered terrible pain, but it was not the pain she felt now; it was different and it was a long time ago.

"Enough now, Northman. Let me examine her." the deep feminine voice said. The voice belonged to a short, dark haired woman who looked like a dwarf. The blonde man let go of her hands and sat down in the chair he had been sitting on before. The woman could see vomit all over his bare chest; it was all over her gown too.

The doctor poked and prodded. Everywhere she touched, the woman's body screamed in agony. "Ah, I hurt so bad!"

"I'm sorry, Katy, but this is necessary," the doctor said as she stretched her eyelids and flashed a small light in her eyes, moving it from side to side. For some reason, the woman understood every movement, every poke and every prod that the female doctor made. She knew that she had made similar examinations many times, but she couldn't remember where or when.

"You won't hurt much longer, Katy, my love," the blonde man said. He was right. She felt the sting of a needle and in a few seconds, she felt blessed relief as the pain began to fade along with her consciousness. Just before she went under, the blonde man kissed her; his lips were feather soft. "Thank you, she managed to mumble before her world went dark.

Eric paced the bedroom. He was like a caged animal ready to explode "She was in so much pain. I can't stand much more of this, Amy," he raged; his face and bare chest were stained from his blood red tears. For three days, even though she was sedated, he had felt her pain through their their blood bond. He wondered how her frail human body could withstand such agony.

"This is good, news, Eric. She woke up after only three days. This is a good sign. She still in pain from the poison on their knives, but the tests show that it's almost out of her system now. She won't feel the pain much longer." Amy Ludwig, the most famous doctor in the supernatural world, spoke calmly, but firmly to the vampire that paced the room.

"But she doesn't remember who she is. She doesn't remember me. Why, Amy? How long will this go on?" Eric sounded like a broken man.

"She doesn't remember you because her brain was so swollen from the beating she took. It affected her memory, but it may not be permanent. I am going to test her again to see how much the swelling has gone down. You were lucky you got to her when you did, or she would have been beyond the point of no return. It will take as long as it takes, man. That's all I know. That's all anyone can know." The small doctor answered

"Will she ever remember me? I should have turned her when I found her with those two. Those bastards; I'm glad I killed them!" he raged. Eric Northman, King of the Vampires of Louisiana, felt helpless and more frightened than he ever had in his long, long life.

"No, Eric. It's a good thing you didn't turn her when you found her like that. They beat her so bad, her brain was severely damaged. You would have saved her, but I don't think she never would have remembered you then. Most likely she would have ended up like Bubba, and I know you don't want that. You have been giving her your blood, and it is slowly healing her. At least there is a chance now for her to recover fully, but it will be slow, so you must be patient. Be grateful for that, at least." Amy Ludwig, who didn't have a soft bone in her body, pitied the most powerful vampire in Louisiana.

Suddenly, Eric stood up and picked up the chair he had been sitting on and sent it flying through the large bay window in the bedroom. The force of his throw smashed the glass and the window frame to smithereens. He moved swiftly and a mighty fist smashed the mirror over Katy's dresser, cutting his hand; his blood driipped down his arm. His fists thundered, hammering the dresser and every other piece of furniture in the room, except the bed. Many of the larger pieces followed the chair through the broken window.

"This my fault! My fault! I should have gotten rid of those fucking fangbangers when she asked me. I wish those two were alive, so I could tear them to pieces again!" Eric roared. The pain and hatred in his voice reverberated around the room. He went on and on smashing things with his fists and his feet, until the only three things left standing were the bed, the night table beside the bed with a wedding picture taken only three days before, and and the metal IV stand that stood between the bed and the night table. Everything else was in the room was in pieces; it looked like a tornado had touched down. Katy lay in her drug induced sleep and didn't hear or see a thing.

Amy, Pam, Judith, Daniel, Sookie and Bill backed toward the door. They stood by quietly as Eric rampaged through the room. They didn't try to stop him. They knew there was no use. Finally, when he was spent, he knelt beside the bed cradling his head with one arm. He was facing downward with his other hand outstretched holding Katy's hand again. From the back, they could all see his massive body heaving with emotion; he seemed like a broken man.

They could hear his voice, he was talking softly to Katy in ancient Swedish. With blood tears in her own eyes, Pam turned and told them, "He's telling Katy how much he loves her. He's begging her to remember him. Come, let's leave them alone," she said. The three male and one female vampires, and the two part fae, part human females left the room, and shut the door.


	22. Chapter 22

Dark Desire – Chapter 22

For the next couple of weeks, Katy spent a lot of time sleeping; it was if she instinctively knew that her body and mind needed the rest. She often didn't get the rest she needed because her sleep was sometimes interrupted with vivid dreams. Memories of a life she wanted to remember surfaced, but faded to near nothingness by the time she awoke. Tiny glimmers of the dream sometimes remained, but not enough to put things together. Katy often woke up more tired than when she went to bed.

When she was awake, she felt anxious. Not knowing who she was or what her life had been like was a strange feeling. She felt disconnected and ethereal, almost as if she really didn't really exist at all. She never left the bedroom. The only two people she saw were the man who called himself Eric and Dr. Ludwig. Dr. Ludwig visited her at least once every night, but she she slept in the same bed with Eric.

Sometimes Eric's almost constant presence and the familiarity that he displayed with her made her feel uncomfortable, but after a while she became used to it. She began to feel anxious and uncomfortable when he was not around. She could not remember him prior to the first time she woke up on his lap, but the tenderness and love he showed her seemed real and made her feel safe. He told her over and over that he loved her, and she believed him. Eric soon became both her safety net and her lifeline. Their three room bedroom suite became a safe haven that she never wanted to leave.

Katy was not blind to the fact that Eric was very much a male and a very much a carnal man. There were times when she saw or sensed his raw sexual need for her. She knew that Eric desperately wanted to have sex with her, but without really remembering who he was, she was not ready for that. Often when he held her on his lap, or she lay close against him in bed, she could feel how aroused he was. She moved away from him to give him space. She was relieved that he never tried to force her or touch her in a sexual way. That made her trust him even more.

A pattern began to form: if she woke up during the night, the windows were usually opened slightly. She she could feel the breeze and see the moon. She heard voices outside. She went to the window and saw men patrolling outside. They were clearly guards, and that made her feel safe.

If he was in the bedroom, Eric talked to her trying to get her to remember who she was. He always started out by asking her, "Who are you?" followed by "Who am I?" She looked at him blankly, and said, "I don't know." His beautiful blue eyes looked defeated and hopeless when she answered, and that made her feel sad.

If she woke up during the daytime, the windows were shuttered tightly and a low light was always on in the room. The only way she knew it was daytime was from the digital alarm clock on the bedside. She always found him lying next to her. Usually their bodies were tangled together so tightly, she had a hard time extricating herself to get up and go to the bathroom. He usually reached out in his sleep trying to draw her back into him; she had to be careful to avoid his reaching arms.

Sometimes, she just snuggled closer to him and laid her head on his chest. She couldn't hear his heart beat, and his body was much cooler than a normal human body. One day, Katy woke up as Eric moved restlessly on the bed. He was dreaming; his fangs were fully extended. Curious, she tested the tips of his fangs with one finger; they were very sharp.

A strange desire to have those fangs sink into her neck made her shiver a little. Eric groaned softly and had an immediate erection, but didn't wake. That night she realized that Eric was a vampire. As much as it shocked her to realize that, it shocked her even more that she didn't care. She wasn't afraid of him; something deep inside told her that he would never hurt her.

When she woke up during the day, there was usually a tray of fresh, hot food and a pot of coffee on a the table near the window in the adjoining sitting room. She sat at the table and ate her fill. That room had its own door to the hall, and Katy sometimes heard, but never saw, the person who brought the food and took the empty dishes away. An IV stand in the corner of the bedroom, and the the marks on her arm, let her know she had been fed through an IV tube for a while. Now she gratefully ate like she had never eaten before. She wondered if food had tasted so good before she lost her memory.

At least once a night, Dr. Amy Ludwig came in and examined her, sometimes bringing familiar instruments and small machines. Dr. Ludwig seemed to be pleased with the results of her prodding and probing. The small doctor was cool and professional and Katy liked her. She talked detailed medical terms with her, and Katy understood every word. "How do I know that?" she asked Amy once. "Because you are a doctor yourself, Katy," the small woman answered.

Both Eric and Dr. Ludwig kept calling her Katy, so she began to think of herself as that, but she felt no real connection to that name. "Why not call myself Katy?" she asked herself. "I have to call myself something." On the third day when asked who she was, she immediately answered, "I am Katy." Eric's face broke out in a bright smile; he looked happy; his eyes looked hopeful.

"Who am I?" he asked. A ghost of a memory tried to surface, but didn't quite break through. "I don't know," she answered miserably as tears filled her eyes. She felt a curious twinge in her heart at the pain in his eyes.

He silently handed her the picture from the nightstand. It was a wedding picture of her and him standing under a silk banner that proclaimed, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Northman. Her wedding dress was an off the shoulder, ivory silk creation that hugged her slim waist and flared into a full skirt; she thought it was beautiful. She was wearing a stunning diamond necklace with matching earrings, Her hair was pinned up off her long graceful neck in a simple french twist. The twist was held in place by at least five diamond hair pins

She looked at Eric in the picture for a long time. She was fascinated by him; he looked so gorgeous dressed in a dove gray tuxedo with a cumberbund that not only matched the deep blue of his eyes, but the spray of flowers she held in her hand. His blonde hair was swept back and cut shorter at the nape of his neck. They were facing each other. He was smiling down at her up-tilted face with love evident in his eyes. The two of them looked so happy and so in love, it made her want to cry.

Suddenly, she saw herself trying the wedding dress on in an expensive designer showroom while a small, dark haired, beautiful woman sat nearby and smiled at her. She walked out of the fitting room and turned slowly around, modeling the gown for the woman. In a soft, melodious southern drawl, the woman said, "Oh, Katy, that's the one!"

"I think you are right, Judith," she replied. "I'll take it," she said to the sales woman. The memory made her smile, but it flickered briefly and then was gone.

Katy desperately wanted to remember more. She took the picture out of the frame and ran her fingers back and forth over it as if she could cull other memories just by touching the paper. She tried hard, but nothing happened. She had no independent memory of the wedding, or of him.

Every night, Eric peppered her with questions about their life together. She wanted to remember for herself, but she also wanted to remember for him. His eyes were so hopeful and earnest that she wanted to please him just to make him smile. She loved his smiles, and her heart ached for him when she saw his frustrated look when she she failed.

She tried so hard to recall the events and people he spoke about. Sometimes just when she thought a ghost of a memory was slipping through through, her mind would grab for it, only to have it slip away. It frustrated her so much, she became tense and angry and she yelled at Eric. The harder she tried, the more her head ached until she usually became nauseous and begged him to stop.

One week later, she awoke to overhear Dr. Ludwig and Eric quarreling in the sitting room. "Stop pushing her so hard, Eric. She will remember in her own time. You have to give her a chance to do it on her own." Dr. Ludwig's unmistakable deep voice told him.

Eric's voice was clearly angry. He accused Dr. Ludwig of being incompetent and threatened to bring in another doctor. "I can't stand this, Amy! I want her back! She should be able to remember by now. Why can't she?" he raged at her.

Dr. Ludwig answered coolly, "Eric, I have told you this before, but if you don't believe me, bring in another doctor. He will only tell you the same thing. There is no physical reason for Katy's memory loss now. Because of the blood you gave her those first few days, her body is completely healed; her brain is no longer swollen. All the tests I have taken these past few days show that she has not suffered any permanent brain damage. Believe me that is truly a miracle."

"But..., and I must emphasize this, what she went through that night was so traumatic, her mind is blocking it out to protect her. Those two tried to kill her in an awful way, and she must have been terrified. She will get her memory back when she can handle it, and not a moment before. It may come back all at once, or it bits and pieces; we just don't know enough about the human mind to say. Eric, please understand that the more you push her, and the more pressure you put on her, the more you delay that moment." Dr. Ludwig's voice was firm when she told him that.

Katy heard a door slam hard as Eric left the room, then Dr. Ludwig came into the bedroom for her nightly visit. Later, after Dr. Ludwig left, Eric questioned her again, but he stopped after only a few questions when he saw the frustration in her eyes. He went into the bathroom while Katy sat on the bed hugging her knees close to her chest. She moved her legs into the lotus position and took a few deep cleansing breaths to try to calm her aching brain.

Once she cleared her mind of all thought, Katy drifted in and out of a trance like state. A memory of Eric lying over her on a floor in some large ballroom arose in her mind's eye. The memory was as strong and intense as if she were living through it again. They were lying together partially covered by a large table amidst broken dishes, food and glassware. Part of the roof had caved in, and there was water on the floor underneath the gaping hole in the roof.

The scene was surreal; she could hear people moaning and crying. Bodies seemed to be moving all around them, but Eric seemed unconcerned about other people. He was touching her. Oh, God, how he was touching her! It made her feel hot just to think about it. She told him everything but the touching part.

"That was the night we met. Do you remember anything else from that night?" he asked hopefully

She remembered mostly the electricity of his touch. A thrilling sensation flared so intensely in her groin, her nipples hardened in response. She turned away to hide her embarrassment, but her face blushed bright red. Eric noticed it anyway.

"I remember you kept touching and kissing me. I didn't even know you, but you kept kissing me and licking blood off my face and throat. A part of me wanted to tell you to stop; the other part didn't. I liked the way you made me feel."

Eric just laughed. "I didn't even know your name that night, but I couldn't keeps my hands off you. I couldn't stop kissing you. You smelled so good. You tasted so good. I wanted to make love to you right there. I could never remember wanting a woman as badly as I wanted you that night. You bewitched me, Katy. You cast a spell on me, think," he sighed happily as if he had just won a great victory.

Following Amy Ludwig's suggestion, Eric began to back off more, not prodding her so hard. Without his insistent questioning, Katy began to relax. Slowly more memories came back. Some of them were so good, they filled her with happiness as she clung to him and told him. Others were so bad, that she curled up in a ball in the corner of the bedroom, shaking and crying, until he coaxed her to come to him; he held her while she sobbed.

Their were big gaps in her memory, but she did remember her first husband, Richard. She cringed from that memory, but she made herself face it. He had beat her severely, putting her in the hospital. She ran from him.

She she remembered discovering the pornographic pictures of her father, Richard and his dad. She wanted to kill Richard before she remembered he was dead. She remembered her life on the run in the Witness Protection Program. What she didn't remember was much of her life with Eric. That was what she wanted to remember most of all.

When Eric was not with her in the bedroom, she missed him and felt afraid. One night after almost two weeks, she decided she would try to find him, but she never made it out of the bedroom. As she reached for the door handle, a cold feeling of dread and terror came over her. The feeling was so intense that she froze; her hands shook so violently, she could not open the door.

Several days later, Dr. Ludwig told her, "You need to exercise, Katy. You need to get out of this room. You need to rejoin life. Let's go for a walk outside." Remembering the incident with the door, Katy demurred, but Dr. Ludwig insisted. Katy panicked, but both Eric and Dr. Ludwig walked beside her through the empty upstairs hallways for almost a half an hour.

When they tried to get her to walk down the front stairway, Katy panicked again; her body went rigid and she began to tremble and breathe hard. "No. Don't. I don't want to go down there," she whispered frantically. Eric put his arm around her and hugged her close until the trembling stopped. "Okay, lover. We won't go down there today. Tomorrow, maybe."

The next evening, she and Eric did make it down the backstairs. Katy gripped Eric's hand and leaned into him for strength. They passed some of the vamp guards who called out, "Good evening, Lady Kathryn; I hope you are feeling better." Katy answered them with a timid smile.

She was doing okay until they passed the empty parlor where the fangbangers used to hang out, Katy began to panic again. She tore away from Eric and ran upstairs to the bedroom. He found her curled up in a ball in the corner again, hyperventilating. It took him hours to calm her down.

Later that night, about an hour before dawn, caught in the throes of a horrible nightmare, Katy moaned and thrashed as she slept. "Help, me. Help, me please!" she begged. She dreamed that Richard was towering over her on the second floor balcony of their home. His fist had come out of nowhere and crashed into her face. She could hear the bones in her jaw crack. He was screaming profanities at her.

After a sudden sensation of falling; she found herself lying on the cold tile floor of the foyer and looking upward. Tracy Coleman, her beautiful brunette friend, stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at her with her mouth opened in a wordless scream. Through it all, Katy saw and heard everything, but felt nothing. There was no pain. It was if she were watching herself in an old black and white horror flick.

The scene shifted; now Ralph Thompson was standing over her with a knife in his hand. She felt his large, heavy pointy toed shoe connect with her chest; she felt a rib give way. A familiar looking blonde knelt on the floor with a large knife in her hand too.

"What is she going to to with that?" Katy thought; then she saw the knife descending, cutting into her her, once, twice, three times, in the shoulder, the arm and the stomach.

"She cut me," Katy thought to herself incredulously. She could hear the sickening sound of the knife as it entered her body. She could see the blood on the knife and as it pouring out of her wounds. Again there was sound, but no pain. She heard the sound of her ribs cracking as Ralph kicked her again. "They're killing me. Why can't I feel it?" Her head snapped forward as she hear his foot connect with her head.

The scene kept shifting back and forth from Richard to Ralph and Tiffany until everything rolled into one long unending horror. The odd sensation that she was watching an old movie of herself being murdered, not once, but twice, was strangely curious. She was numb for a long time... and then the pain hit. It was deep, ferocious, agonizing and unending. She screamed, and screamed. Katy burst upward from a prone position to a crouch on the bed; her arms flailed about trying to defend herself, trying to stop them all.

"It's okay, Katy. I"m here. You're safe! You're safe! It's only a dream, lover. Only a dream." Eric's deep voice crooned to her. He lifted her up off the bed and sat down in the chair with her in his lap and began rocking her again. Sobbing loudly, she put her arms around him and hung on for dear life.

Katy's face and body were wet with tears and perspiration. She shook with fear as Eric held her to him. For long minutes, her heart pounded, and her breath came out in short, rapid gasps. He whispered to her softly until she began to calm. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and cupped her face with his big gentle hand. That hand felt good as it stroked her cheek and then her arm. With his other hand, he softly stroked her back reassuring her that everything was all right. Under his tender ministrations, the the tension left her body.

Finally she said, "They tried to kill me: Richard, then Ralph and that fangbanger, Tiffany. Why?"

"Tiffany tried to kill you because she was jealous of you. She wanted me and she wanted you out of the way. Ralph was still angry at you for rejecting him. It doesn't matter. You will never have to worry about them any more, Katy. They are both dead."

"Good," was all that Katy said.

Eric vividly remembered that night; it was one he blamed himself for. It was one would never forget. Somehow Ralph Thomson and Tiffany Coulter had found out that he and Katy planned to return to the palace after the wedding without their usual full complement of security. Some how they managed to slip through all his security measures and waited for them in the fangbanger parlor on the first floor.

When they returned from the reception, Katy had stopped to use the bathroom downstairs while he went upstairs to their bedroom to get the wedding gift he had bought her out of his closet. He had tickets to an exclusive vampire resort in the Caribbean. That's where he wanted to take her for a two week honeymoon. Tiffany and Ralph saw them enter from the back door. After he went upstairs, they followed her into the bathroom, locked the door attacked her.

Through their blood bond, Eric felt agonizing pain as the those two monsters knocked her to the floor and began to kick and stab her. He remembered feeling the ferocious kicks to the body and head delivered by Ralph. He remembered feeling the knives stabbing into her body. He remembered the sting, and the the ferocious burning pain from the poison on those knives. He flew down the stairs, wrenched open the locked bathroom door and saw Katy lying in a pull of blood as those two worked her over. With one swipe, he slammed both of them against the floor so hard they were knocked unconscious.

Eric's roar as he tore off the bathroom door summoned several vamp guards from outside. He handed Tiffany and Ralph over to his men. The couple were chained up in the torture room above the garage until he finished attending to Katy. When they regained consciousness, they screamed and begged their guards for mercy.

Later that night as Katy lay unconscious upstairs with Dr. Ludwig at her side, Eric questioned them. He found out that Tiffany was behind the the whole thing. He found out that she played on Ralph's hatred of Katy and of him. He killed them both one at a time by slowly tearing them apart. They were both wide awake when he did that; he took his time. He killed Tiffany last. He made her watch as he destroyed Ralph Thompson. He wanted to to know exactly what was going to happen to her.

Katy could feel the violent intensity of his rage at those two through their bond. She knew that Tiffany and Ralph and suffered a terrible death at his hands. She didn't feel sorry for them; she didn't care at all.

"Good. I am glad they're dead," she said again.


	23. Chapter 23

Dark Desire – Chapter 23

Memories of her life with Eric filled her mind. For two weeks Katy felt Eric's desperate need for her to remember him, and she wanted him to know that she did. Not knowing where to begin, she finally started to talk about their official, but informal, marriage ceremony in Vermont on New Years Day which was followed by the formal ceremony later that night in New Orleans. While Eric held her close and stoked her softly, Katy talked. The action of his hands was soothing and comforting. She told him everything she could remember.

The events of that day played out in her mind vividly as she talked, but she soon realized it was like watching herself acingt out the scenes of a high definition movie. All of the memories were detailed and real. She knew exactly what she did and exactly what she felt, but it all still seemed remote and detached somehow. That upset her a lot: she had her memories back, but something was still very wrong. If Eric knew that he did not give any indication; that made Katy feel relieved and glad.

They had been officially married in a short civil ceremony at 12:01 am New Years Day just outside of Burlington, Vermont. The ceremony was presided over by their host, Arthur Kellogg, a human supreme court justice, in the living room of his elegant Tudor home. Eric, Katy, Pam, Daniel, Judith and a small team of security vamps had arrived shortly after eight o'clock in the evening along with Nan Flanagan and the Magister. Around ten, Katy enjoyed a sumptuous late meal with Arthur and his daughter, Charlotte, while the vamps dined on the best Royal Blue.

Eric and the other vamps had started out the journey that afternoon in traveling caskets in the large cargo hold under the sumptuous passenger cabin of his large private jet. They all arose after dusk. When Eric joined her up front, he was strangely euphoric; he joked and teased with all of them for the remainder of the flight. He seemed younger and carefree, not at all like a powerful regent with heavy responsibilities. He seemed more like the twenty three year old human male he was when he was turned.

The judge and his daughter, who worked at the County Clerk's Office, expedited the procurement of their marriage license. Eric had saved Arthur and his then teenage daughter, Charlotte, from certain death at the hands of another vampire outside of a Shreveport mall almost thirty years before. Since then, judge felt he owed Eric and frequently did favors for him over the years. He told Eric that he would be honored to conduct his wedding ceremony anytime the vampire king wanted.

For the civil ceremony, Katy wore an knee length, Versace, light green, silk sheath with matching shoes. The elegant cut of the dress bared one shoulder and one arm; the neckline showcased the exquisite emerald, diamond and amethyst necklace that Eric had given her the night before. Matching earrings and a bracelet sparkled on her ears and wrist. Her shining blonde hair, held by pins and a light green velvet ribbon, was piled in soft curls on the crown of her head. Soft curls framed her face at her temples.

Eric had wore an expensive light charcoal Italian suit that shimmered and flowed with his body as he moved. He had on a light green silk shirt that matched Katy's dress with a darker green tie with a print that included lavender, gold, mauve and pink. The cut of his suit emphasized his broad shoulders and slim hips.

Pam, Judith and Daniel, also dressed for the occasion and witnessed the ceremony. Judith took photographs. Nan Flanagan and the Magister also observed the nuptials, at Eric's expense of course. A complement of Eric's vamp guards provided additional security for the couple.

Although the wedding in Vermont was the legally binding ceremony, for Kate, their "real" wedding would be the second formal ceremony tonight in New Orleans. That wedding ceremony and grand reception to be held at La Maisson's would be followed by a third vampire wedding ceremony and Katy's ritual turning at the palace before dawn the next morning.

After Arthur Kellogg pronounced them husband and wife, Eric kissed Katy deeply, breathed in her scent and whispered exultantly against her ear, "Hello, wife. You belong to me now." The vamp who didn't need to breathe deliberately did exactly that; his soft, cool exhalations tingled against her warm skin sending lovely tremors of pleasure through her. Through their bond, Katy could feel the full force of Eric's love and happiness; she also felt a deep sense of satisfaction emanating from him. It warmed her heart.

"Hello, husband. Don't you know that I belonged to you from the night we met?" she flirted back with him.

As if Eric had been holding his breath for a while, a long, breathy exhalation escaped him. She smelled his sweet, spicy breath flow lightly across her lips. "But now, it's official, my wife. No one can take you away from me, now." She felt a curious sense of relief suffusing him and wondered about it.

She didn't know what to say to that, so she teased him, "Silly man; just let anyone try to take me away from you. I dare them!"

Eric laughed again, hugged Katy close, picked her up and swung her around and around until she was dizzy. "Stop," she finally protested. The others looked at him as if he had lost his senses.

"Love!" Pam said in her affected bored voice and then laughed. The others just laughed.

Eric and Kate signed the marriage license, got their copy and joined their host in a toast to their happy union. The new couple couldn't celebrate long; they had a long flight back to New Orleans. They were in the air and back on their way home in Eric's private jet by 12:45AM. The two sat alone up front talking softly and making plans for their future, while the other vamps occupied themselves behind them. Eric 's was still strangely elated; his joy was infectious.

A few minutes before the plane took up a landing pattern, Eric claimed her hand, the one that wore his wedding ring. He brought it to his lips, kissed the back of her fingers and then turned her hand over and brushed his lips back and forth across her palm slowly. Katy had taken so much of his blood over the last two months that her senses were extremely heightened. The receptors in her skin reveled in the whisper soft touch of his mouth against her palm; the feeling was both exquisitely erotic and electrifying at the same time; it was hypnotic. Her heart had been beating fast; she swallowed hard and then stilled herself as if in a trance. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she heard herself gasp.

Eric looked at her, his blue eyes were deeper in color than usual; they were almost violet. She loved the way his eyes changed according to his moods, and tonight, they seemed so mysterious and deep. She stared into their hidden depths to try and devine what he was thinking. She didn't want to break eye contact with him, but suddenly he looked down at her hand and turned it over, running his thumb up the long crease of her life lifeline and up past the pulse on her wrist. Katy caught her breath and murmured softly as a thrill ran through her.

Eric continued his love play, He turned her hand over and splayed his long, strong fingers across her smaller, softer, tapered ones as if measuring the difference in size. Eric's hands were not soft; when he was alive, he worked his fields as a farmer; he worked his weapons on the field of battle. The callouses on his hands were well earned, and they heightened the erotic sensation of his caress. Katy felt her body begin to tighten and warm in response.

Then Eric did a strange thing: he turned her hand palm up again and fingered her wedding ring, twirling it gently around her finger. He looked at her hand as if he had never seen it before. He smiled at her. His strange elation rolled through their bond, swamping her with his happiness.

Bending his head slightly, he leaned over and placed his cool nose up against her throat, breathed deeply and gave a satisfied sigh. "My Katy, my lover, my beautiful wife. So, so lovely," he whispered as the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac. Katy savored the sound of those words on his lips.

They arrived back at the palace an hour and a half before daybreak on New Years Day. Katy and Eric couldn't wait to be alone, but they endured the congratulations, the back slaps and the well wishes of the vamp staff and others, including Bill and Sookie, who had arrived earlier that night. To Katy's relief, she noted there wasn't a fangbanger in sight. Finally they made it upstairs to their bedroom.

At the bedroom door, Eric opened it, picked Katy up and stepped through with her in his arms. With one foot, he kicked the door closed behind them. Walking a few feet into the room, he stood Katy down on the floor in front of him.

"Don't move," he ordered as he reached behind her, unzipped her dress and unclasped the strapless bra she was wearing. Raising her arms, he lifted the dress up over he head and dropped it on the floor; her strapless bra fell along side it. Katy stood clad only in her bikini panties, hose and heels.

Katy started to move to embrace him. "Don't move!" he ordered her again.

Eric kicked off his shoes, stood before her and undressed himself, casually dropping his clothes in a pile next to her. Standing completely naked with his penis hard and long at full flag, he moved and pressed himself up against the naked skin of her stomach. Katy's hands automatically moved to touch him, but he gently moved them away.

Kneeling in front of Katy, Eric picked up one foot, and then the other, removing her high heeled shoes. Slowly, using both hands, he removed her garters and rolled down her hose, kissing the arch of each foot after he removed each silk stocking. Finally, hooking his fingers on each side of her panties, her pulled them down and helped her to step out of them. By the time he finished, Katy was already panting for him.

Eric wound his arms around her hips and rested his cheek up against the soft blonde curls that partially covered her mons and inhaled several deep, satisfying breaths. "I'm glad you didn't remove it all like other women do," he once told her. "I love to run my fingers through it when you come; it excites me so." Katy thought she felt his tongue flick against her and she shivered.

Eric stood up and walked her backward to her dresser against the far wall. Lifting Katy up, he sat her hips partially down on the top of the dresser and splayed her legs wide open. She was sitting well forward on the dresser top with her sex fully exposed to him. To keep her balance, Katy had to grab the ornately carved protruding edge of the dresser top along each side, lean back and arch her back a little. Eric stepped in between her legs. She could feel his organ, thick and heavy against her lower belly and the folds of her sex.

Tilting her head up to his, Eric kissed her long and deep. His tongue played little games with hers. Moving his mouth away, he stood for a long moment, then removed the hairpins and the ribbon holding her hair up off her shoulders. His finger nails scraped softly over her scalp before he splayed his hands in her hair and combed it down around her shoulders with his big fingers. He ruffled the tresses a little to make sure they fell free. With her head extended back and her spine gracefully arched, Katy's, soft, shiny blonde hair now fell well below her shoulder blades. Eric could see it all in the mirror behind her; she made a lovely picture. A fresh burst of desire bloomed within him like a fireworks display; he felt his erection get even harder and longer as he growled low in his throat. Katy's eyes had been closed. The rumbling sound low in his chest seemed to startle her as she opened her eyes wide in pregnant expectation. She licked her lips, and Eric caught her tongue with his teeth an fangs and sucked on it for a while.

With one of his big hands gently cupping the back of her head and the second around her graceful neck, he nestled the thumb of that second hand deep into the small hollow at the base of her throat. He drew circles with that thumb around and around and upward, touching lightly against her throat. His large hand could have easily snapped her delicate neck in two. Katy shivered as he leaned and inhaled her again.

"What do I smell like?" she asked him.

"You smell like orange blossoms, honey and spice; like nothing I ever smelled before. Your smell is so delicious, you intoxicate me, but I smell my own blood in you too; and that is even more intoxicating," he signed as he breathed slowly against her neck again. He laughed softly to himself as she shivered with each word. Through their blood bond, he could feel exactly how his touch and his lips made her feel. It was like touching his own skin. He could feel exactly how much she loved and desired him; that was the most intoxicating thing of all.

Katy could smell his special blend of musk and spice. "You make me feel drunk, too," she breathed to him. She almost almost swooned as a heady rush of love and lust made her feel dizzy. She clutched hard at the sides of the dresser to keep balance. The curved molding on the front of the dresser was a little uncomfortable against the back of her thighs and her bottom, but she didn't care; her body was too busy responding to what Eric was doing with his large hands.

He he ran his big hands ever so slowly down the the tops of her arms and up the underside moving them to the top of her shoulders. He stopped for a moment than began to move them down her upper chest until he finally covered a small breast with each hand. He moved his palms back and forth across each small rosy nipple. They plumped, then hardened in his hands. Eric moved down and took one sweet bud in his mouth; his fangs fully extended for a long time, lightly abraded her skin, a jolt of lover's lightening flashed from her breast to her groin. A sudden wet warmth blossomed between inside her core and spilled out onto her thigh. Competing ripples of pleasure inundated her breasts and her groin, threatening to suck her under.

Eric smelled her arousal before he felt it. He spread her legs wider, and with one hand opened the lips of her sex and slipped a finger inside. He touched the wetness there. Pulling the finger out, he rubbed her essence over his swollen shaft then licked his finger. He slipped his hardened penis between her wet lower lips and began to rub back and forth. Katy keened his name softly as her first orgasm washed over her.

She tried to put her arms around him, but he shrugged them away. 'No. Don't touch me, lover. Tonight, I give. You receive."

"I have to touch you. I need to touch you." Katy's body shook as she begged and reached for him again. "No, lover. Tonight, we do it my way," he said as he took her hands and planted them down against the sides of the dresser and held them there.

He slowly lowered himself, his tongue trailing kisses from the sensitive hollow of her throat, down her chest, over each breast and standing nipple, to her navel and down to the top of her sex. Finally he was kneeling before her with face between her legs. Spreading her thighs wider, he reach up and opened her up, gently sliding his finger up and down against the soft tissue there. He knelt for a minute just looking at the exposed flesh as it pinked from her arousal. He rubbed his nose and cheeks against the silky skin of her inner thighs and blew against her secret place. Katy jumped; the sensation was indescribable. Moving his face again, the slight stubble of beard brushed against her, rasping ever so slightly. Katy's body jerked as it trembled so hard she thought it would never stop.

Eric lightly kissed the folds of her sex, and with his tongue, he found and tormented the swollen bud of her clitorus. Katy jumped again as his cool tongue touched her heated skin. She tried to wiggle away, but his hands held her firmly now. He teased and sucked, rolling the delicate flesh with his lips and tongue, until her until she put both of her hands in his hair and pulled him into her. She didn't think she could stand anymore as the telltale rippling of an intense climax pulsed through her again; wetting his face. "Eriiic...! I can't stand this. I'm coming apart!" she keened his name as her orgasm hit.

"Come for me, Katy love. Come for me. That's the way," his deep voice crooned and encouraged her.

Eric pulled Kathy to a standing position, but her knees were so weak, she began to slip to the floor. Her thighs were wobbly and trembled mightily; they would not hold her. Eric picked her up and moved to the bed. Her back barely hit the mattress before he buried his thick deep inside her and began to move; it felt like heaven to her. She tried to lift her legs around his back, but her thigh muscles wouldn't cooperate, so Eric did it for her; it allowed him deeper purchase.

By now, Eric was panting hard as hard as she was; his breath was ragged as he pumped into her, grunting with the force of each thrust. Katy arched up against him, meeting each downward movement, moaning as she did. By now all rational thought had left them both, neither one of them were coherent; they were all feeling, all sensation, all nerve endings alive with glorious pleasure now. With their hands intertwined at their sides, they moved and bucked against each other. Their gutteral cries deepened as they approached a magical pinnacle.

Through their bond, they could both feel every touch, every sensation that the other felt as their mouth and their hands loved each other. Aas he slid his manhood deep into her slick hot core, withdrew and slid in again, automatically her silky folds clenched, released and pulsed around him. Such exquisite pleasure was almost unbearable.

Eric's buttocks tensed for a moment, then he poured himself into her. "Oh, god, Katy!" he cried out as his orgasm thundered in waves; her own final orgasm flowed and melted into his; he could hear the sound of her inner core spitting her juices around him. He fell heavily against her, spent.

Katy relived every detail as poured out the memories of the night of their official wedding ceremony. The memory was so good, and she was glad she had it. All during her recitation, Eric lay next to her holding her close, comforting her, stroking her. Katy felt such relief that she almost cried. She hung on to him, hoping he would kiss her, but he didn't.

Eric relived his own joy and relief when the judge pronounced them husband and wife. He had lost his first love,Sookie, to Bill Compton. He was determined not to lose Katy to anyone. He marveled at his presumptousness believing that no one could take her from him. But, no other lover did; it was those vile beasts, Tiffany Coulter and Ralph Thompson. How he hated them for that. Laying there beside her, he wished he could crush and kill them both all over again.

After a while, Katy realized that although most of her memories were back, something was still clearly wrong. She puzzled over that until she realized that although she remembered the blood bond, she did not actually feel it. She had not felt Eric inside her mind since she had woken up from her coma. She knew the blood bond was there somewhere inside her, but she felt like it was buried behind a wall as thick and strong as a bank vault. Katy felt more alone then she ever had in her life. She wanted that part of herself back. She wanted to feel Eric inside her mind again; she wanted to be part of him.

Looking up at Eric with tears in her eyes, she said, "You know, that I don't feel you anymore, don't you?"

"Yes, I can feel it," he brokenly whispered to her. From the desolation and sadness in his eyes, Katy finally understood Eric's pain. Like her, he felt alone, but it was so much worse for him. It wasn't just her memories he wanted her to recover; it was the sense of their shared blood bond.

For over two weeks, she had forgotten who he was, so she didn't suffer. Eric did. Every day, she talked to him, every day she lay beside him. Her presence was a physical reminder him of what he had lost.

In a sudden burst of insight, Katy understood well why vampires did not often form a blood bond with humans. The blood bond wasn't intimate and invasive only for the human, but for the vampire as well. Closer to their animal nature, vampire passions and emotions were so much deeper than those of most humans: they were wild, rough and primal. Much more than most humans could ever understand.

The sheer mental intimacy of a human/vampire blood bond magnified those passions and emotions until they were almost completely overwhelmed. Although the vampire controlled the blood bond, it was far from total control; they often felt like they were teetering on the edge of oblivion. Bonded to the right person, the mere presence of their human in their shared bond helped them control the raging animal passions, and the bond was an indescribable pleasure. Tied to the wrong human, the passions could rage out of control, and the blood bond was an intolerable hell. Breaking the blood bond was dangerous and painful for the vampire and was not to be undertaken lightly.

Eric remembered that for two glorious months their blood bond had been a living, breathing thing inside them, connecting them, completing them, making making them part of each other. He and Katy were as close as two separate beings could be without sharing the same skin. Now, although he felt her emotions as strongly as he did before, there was also a hole deep inside of him that couldn't be filled.

He knew she didn't feel him, and It was killing him, sometimes sending him into violent rages. Although he loved her and would spend the rest of his life with her, he wanted to share more than the normal maker/child bond with her after he turned her. He wanted, no he needed, to share the incredible richness of their blood bond forever. The Magister insisted that he turn Katy once her rmemories returned, but he intended to stall a little longer. He knew that if Katy's blood bond did not surface before her turning that deep sharing would never happen. That thought terrified him.

"It will come back. I know it will," Katy fiercely told him. Eric wanted desperately to believe her as he fell into slumber.


	24. Chapter 24

Dark Desire – Chapter 24

At nine o'clock in the morning, Katy lay naked beside a sleeping vamp; she was beginning to understand the torture that Eric went through as he lay beside her for the last two and a half weeks. Her whole body was extremely aroused and aching to have him inside her. Her skin was super sensitive and set ablaze each time he casually brushed against her in his sleep.

She felt devastated and hurt, but she tried to tell herself that she was probably being unreasonable. Earlier, Eric had to know to know how badly she wanted him to kiss her, but he didn't. He just fell asleep, leaving her with a slow burning, but steadily building fire. It was hell laying here beside him; she felt like every nerve ending was alive with need for him. If he was human, she would have done her best to wake him up by any means she could, and have her way with him. But he was vampire, and she would have to endure the torture until sundown. She sighed heavily

"Why didn't he kiss me? He should have kissed me. One kiss; was that too much to expect?" she glumly told herself. Katy was in the midst of a big pity party. She felt sorry for herself, and she was getting worse by the minute.

Before the day claimed him, Katy had assured Eric that her blood bond still existed; it was waiting only to be awakened. Although a part of her was consumed with the fear that her bond may never be awakened, she still wanted him to make love to her. Except for the time she was without her memory, she never needed the blood bond to desire Eric. Now, especially after this morning, she needed his touch to assure her that he still wanted her that way too.

She loved Eric with her whole heart and soul, and for two months, she had been part of something that was bigger than either of them. The blood bond they shared was synergistic; it enhanced them; it made them more; it connected them in a way she never thought possible. He completed her, just as he made her feel she completed him. They had become a part of each other; they were as close as two separate beings could be without sharing the same body. She needed and wanted that connection, but she could live without it if she had to. Could Eric share eternity with her without a blood bond? At this moment, she just didn't know.

Last month, Katy told Eric of Judith's belief that two vampires could not stay together for very long unless one was an enthralled slave to the other. She firmly told Eric that she did not believe that. Katy felt that true love alone was enough to bind two vampires if they were willing.

Eric said he also believed that their love was enough too, but even as he said it, Katy felt through their bond that he was lying to her. She knew that In his heart, Eric actually believed it was only the strength of their shared blood bond, formed before her turning, that would keep them together forever.

Katy remembered the night the Magister and Nan Flanagan came to the palace with that disgusting pervert, Gaetano Califano. The Magister had wanted Eric to turn her over to Califano because it was thought that she had some knowledge of his sex trade business. The kind of business that supported her father, Richard and his father's sick proclivities.

She didn't know anything of course, but that didn't matter. At this delicate stage of human/vampire relations, any human who was even suspected of potentially having knowledge of such terrible things about a vampire was considered a risk. If what they knew got out, it could bring the whole vampire community down. Years of work toward equality with humans would be lost. As such, that human was a risk to all vampires and could not be allowed to live.

Katy had defused the situation when she told the Magister that she wanted Eric to turn her after they were married and promised a very large donation after her turning. Eric did not turn her on their wedding night because of the vicous attack that almost killed her and left her with amnesia when she finally awoke. The Magister was not a patient vamp. He wanted that donation badly. Also it was bound to get out that she had gotten her memories back, so the clock was ticking.

Even so, Katy believed that because the return of her memories did not automatically reawaken the blood bond she had with Eric, he would be reluctant to turn her for fear of eventually losing her. Eric had been devastated for months by the loss of his first love, Sookie Stackhouse. He sank into a deep depression. Katy knew that he did not want to go through that kind of pain again.

Katy would not consider having another vamp turn her. Having an intimate maker/child bond, which almost always included sex, with another vampire when she was committed to Eric was too loathsome to even contemplate. Even without the sex, she could not accept being bound to any vamp, other than Eric, as her sire. As a result, she knew the Magister would soon call for her execution to protect the kindred from scandal. It wasn't personal; it was his job.

Worse yet, even though there was not enough proof to condemn Eric to death for killing other vampires, she knew that Eric would die anyway trying to protect her. For both their sakes, Katy believed that reawakening her blood bond was as necessary to their future happiness together as oxygen was to her mortal life right now.

Katy's mind left those morbid thoughts behind as Eric stirred in the bed beside her; his bare, strongly muscled hips brushed up against her side as rolled to the other side facing away from her. The desire to run her hands down his taut butt and slide her hand up between his legs to touch his testicles was overwhelming. It made her breath come in short little gasps, so she slid over, creating an empty space between them.

Eric had once told her that vampires didn't dream. That had made her laugh when he said that. She had often lain awake beside him many days while he moved sensually and talked in his sleep, making love to her in his mind. "If you weren't dreaming, what were you doing?" she had asked him, but he had no answer. Katy reveled in those moments, but Eric didn't believe her when she teasingly informed him about them.

"Impossible! Vampires don't dream. I don't remember ever having a dream!" he insisted.

Looking longingly at the body of the man she loved, Katy made her decision: if she couldn't have him, she was going to give him one hell of a wet dream. Maybe that would relieve some of the sexual tension she now felt. She tuned on her side and scooted closer until she was cupping his backside with her body. She put one long, slender leg over his and slid her arm around his naked chest, touching his bare skin with her hand. Eric murmured something in his sleep.

Grazing his nipple with her fingernails, she felt it harden. Impulsively, she stuck out her tongue and begun to trace his right shoulder blade as she ran her hand down the hard muscles of his abdomen. God, how she loved the feel and the taste of him.

Drawing her hand back, she spit several times into her palm and made a fist. She moved that fist down his belly until she found his flaccid manhood. Opening her hand, she encircled his flesh with her damp hand and began to stroke up and down. His penis sprang alive instantly in her hand. Eric cupped his big hand over hers and held it there as she moved hers slowly up and down and over the sensitive tip. He groaned and clasped her hand tighter.

"Oh yes, my love!" she whispered to him.

With her lips moving against his back, Katy could could feel ripples of pleasure under his skin. Eric mumbled her name again and uttered words both in English and in his native tongue. Katy had heard all of those words many times before when they were making love.

After a minute or two, he rolled back to face her, pulled her naked body close to him and moved his own naked thigh high up in between hers so that her now wet sex made contact with the hard muscles of his upper leg. His fully erect shaft lay high against her stomach almost touching her breasts. Katy made a little tunnel with her hand and placed it around his shaft, caputuring it against her stomach. She was breathing hard by now. With his arms behind her back, holding her close, Eric began to undulate his long body, sliding his penis up and down against the bare skin of her belly and stomach through the tunnel of her still damp hand. He jerked a little and softly murmured his words of love.

With her other hand Katy found her clit and rubbed herself, moaning softly as lust flashed through her body like lightening. Eric was still sound asleep, but the vamp, who insisted he never dreamed, was definitely having a very erotic dream now and enjoying it very much, too. His lips smiled happily over his extended fangs as he softly, but clearly continued to talk in his sleep, mumbling her name.

She moved a little higher, slipped his hardened erection inside her wet channel, wrapped her arms around him, moved her leg high onto his hip and began to undulate with him. Within mere moments, Katy's breath was coming in harsh gasps, she was starting to shudder and sweat as sweet tension coiled tightly in her lower stomach. She began to moan loudly against his chest. It took Eric a few more seconds to wake up and realize what they were doing; it wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning.

"Can't keep your hands off me, can you, my wife?" he laughed sleepily as he pulled her under him and began to rock to an ageless rhythm. As he sank deeper into her with each stroke, Katy had a difficult time catching her breath.

As he moved within her, Eric felt wild and frantic in his frenzied lust for Katy, but he held himself back. It was such a strain on him, his whole body shook with the effort. He desperately wanted to bite her over and over, drink her sweet, wonderful blood, and fuck her so hard she lost all conscious thought of everybody and everything, but him. He was afraid to let himself go. He was sure that if he did as his vampire instincts urged, he would hurt her, possibly kill her, by being too rough.

For a few minutes their lovemaking was was deliberately slow and tender, but Katy had other ideas. She wanted him fast and hard, so she bit him hard on the shoulder. Her action caught Eric by surprise, and his orgasm fairly exploded into her as Katy greedily sucked his blood. Katy moved her head to the side in a timeless invitation. "Bite me," she pleaded.

Eric did not need a second invitation; he bit down on the artery in her throat and drew hard against the two small openings made by his large fangs. Katy screamed with pleasure and convulsed hard into her own orgasm. Reaching a second, even greater climax, Eric arched his spine, reared back and growled deeply. The sound seemed to rumble on and on through his chest as he spewed his essence into her. His climax seemed endless, pumping out in wave after shuddering wave while the walls of her vagina greedily clamped and pulsated strongly around him, milking his shaft even more. "Ahhhh!...Gods! Katy, my lover! Please, help me!" he groaned as his body shuddered violently in her arms.

In the low lamp light, Katy could see Eric's lips were drawn back and his fangs were bared in a grimace with the strain of his long orgasm. His mouth was covered with her blood. That excited Katy in a way she couldn't even begin to describe.

"Don't stop!" she begged. Eric complied. He moved downward and struck as fast as a cobra. He bit down hard into the femoral artery on her upper thigh and began to suck, moaning and growling even more deeply as he did. Katy keened out in a long low howl as every nerve ending in her body burst into a wonderful flame.

She began to lose it as her mind began to thrum. The powerful yet exquisitely erotic sensations that Eric's mouth made as he sucked and drank deeply of her blood were almost too much to endure. Katy felt light headed; she felt like swooning. She felt as if her skin would explode from pleasure. She felt as if her heart would burst with joy.

After a minute, Katy felt a strong pressure in her mind. She felt as if something cracked and then burst, leaving a wide open channel to her soul. For a few seconds, her mind felt empty, but it felt so good at the same time.

Without warning, Eric's feelings exploded through the channel in her mind like an atomic bomb. The iron wall that stopped her from feeling her blood bond completely dissolved and then was gone. Eric's passions and emotions were strong, deep and so primal that Katy gasped from their intensity. His love and raw need for her filled her up completely. They both knew in the same instant that she felt him again. Katy's heart and mind began to sing; Eric's heart and mind joined in that song.

Afterward, Eric rocked her back in forth in his arms, "You've come back to me, Katy! You've finally come back!" he crooned over and over.

Eric's body was bone weary; the day pulled at him, but his mind was active. He was too happy and too excited to go back to sleep. Katy began to tell him about her memories of their formal wedding in New Orleans. Her words began to calm him as he stroked her back and her arms.

After Eric had fallen asleep after dawn on New Years Day, Katy moved herself to the adjoining bedroom. She didn't want him to see her as she got ready for the formal wedding later that night. She didn't want him to see her wedding dress until she walked down the grand stairway at La Maisson's.

Eric had known about her decision to sleep in the next bedroom and protested this for days. He complained loudly that he didn't sleep well without her in bed beside him.

"Don't be such a baby, Eric." she teased. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"But we are already married, my wife," he complained petulantly that morning.

Katy stubbornly insisted on having her way. She woke up around three in the afternoon on New Years Day at the sound of a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called and Sookie Compton walked into her temporary bedroom. She was carrying the gown and shoes that she planned to wear that night.

Katy had asked both Judith and Sookie to act as her Matrons of Honor for this wedding. It was a task that both Sookie and Judith Vardamon looked forward to. Sookie was truly happy for Eric and her new friend, Katy Dumont, now officially Katy Northman.

After sharing a big breakfast, Sookie helped Katy with her hair and makeup. Katy was sitting before the mirror on her dressing table when Judith walked into her bedroom after sundown. Katy was clad only in a lacy ivory bra and matching panties. Ivory silk hose, encased her slim legs and ended high up on her firm thighs. She didn't need garters to hold them up, but she wore them for tradition anyway. Judith was already fully dressed in the gorgeous blue designer gown they had both picked out together.

Sookie got dressed in her own designer gown of the same color, but different style, as Judith helped Katy's into her wedding dress and took care of the finishing touches for both Katy and Sookie's toilette.

Since Katy had been married once before, she chose not to wear a veil for this wedding. Her hair was arranged simply in a french twist, held in place by several diamond studded hairpins.

Judith lent Katy a pair of diamond earrings that matched the beautiful diamond necklace Eric had bought for her a week before. Sookie gave Katy a pair of delicate blue lace garters that looked sexy against her toned thighs and ivory silk hose.

After she was dressed, Katy turned to her two attendants, "You both look so beautiful," she said as she handed them each a small box. Inside each box was an exquisite twenty four carat gold bracelet inlaid with pearls, sapphires and diamonds that elegantly spelled out the name of each woman. Each bracelet was different, Katy had them designed especially with each woman in mind. Since the sapphires matched the dresses they were wearing, Katy helped each of them slip the bracelet around their wrist.

In the master bedroom, Pam helped Eric dress for the wedding. Eric had asked Pam to stand up for him as his Best Woman; he told her that he never considered anyone else. Pam was not an emotional vamp, so she never let him know that she cried after he asked her; she felt proud and honored.

Eric was dressed in a dove gray tuxedo and a blue cumberbund that matched the color of Pam's elegant dress. It was the same color blue as Judith and Sookie's gowns, but cut into a style that flattered her own small, buxom figure.

For some reason, Eric was as nervous as a cat tonight. He fumbled with his bow tie so much that Pam had to tie it for him and help him get into his cumberbund. She laughed delightedly at her maker as his hands shook so bad, he couldn't clasp his platinum and diamond Rolex watch around his wrist

"What are you so nervous about, Eric? You are already married, remember?" she teased him.

"I know, but this one is the one that is important to Katy. For her, this is the "real' marriage ceremony. I don't want to mess this up," he said. Then he ranted as he couldn't find his dress shoes.

Pam sneaked into the bedroom next door and asked Katy if she knew where Eric's shoes were. "I think he put them in my closet. He said he wouldn't forget them, if he put them there." Katy laughed happily as she told Pam where to find them.

"Men!" Pam snorted as she turned to go.

"Wait a minute, Pam." Katy said to her. "I know it's not usual for the bride to give the Best Man, or Best Woman in this case, a gift, but I want you to have this." Katy gave her a small box. It contained a bracelet similar to what she gave Judith and Sookie; Pam's name was spelled out in the gemstones. She helped Pam put her bracelet on too.

"I am glad you are marrying Eric, Katy. I am so happy that you will let him turn you. You are good for him; he needs you. I am happy to be your sibling," Pam said as she hugged the human woman that she hated so violently just a few short weeks ago.

Kate hugged her back. "Don't let Eric out of the bedroom for at least ten more minutes, please, Pam. Judith, Sookie and I have to get into the limo before he opens the door. I don't want him to see my gown until I come down the stairs at La Maisson's," she told the small blonde vamp conspiratorially.

Sookie had come close, so Pam gave her a big hug too. The two women had been close friends once before and would be again, hopefully. For the past couple of weeks, they each had been sending out tentative feelers to the other, trying hard to rebuild that relationship.

"You look beautiful too, Sookie. I never told you how glad I am now that you are with Bill. I wanted you so much for Eric, but seeing Eric and Katy together made me finally realize that you and he were not meant for each other. Bill is your destiny, just as Katy is Eric's, I firmly believe that now," Pam softly told her friend. Her words were from the heart, and they meant a lot to Sookie; she held Pam a little tighter when she hugged her back.

Forty five minutes later, Judith, Sookie and Katy stood in a small room off the landing of the grand staircase at La Maisson's. Daniel walked up and folded Katy's hand over his arm and began to walk with her to the head of the staircase.

Since she had no family left, Katy had asked Daniel to give her away. In the two months she had known Daniel and Judith, they had become her best friends. Daniel was thrilled with her request.

Katy was shaking inside as the wedding march began to play. Sookie, followed by Judith began to walk elegantly down the white carpeted stairs, each holding a bouquet of blue flowers.

"Ready?" Daniel smilingly asked Kate. She nodded, and the two of them followed.

As she moved slowly down each step, Katy caught Eric's eyes as he looked up at her. He was smiling at her; the love that so clearly shown on his face, made her heart speed up till she thought it would burst with her own love for him. In no time at all, Daniel handed her off to Eric, and she was standing beside him, facing the minister who was to perform the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God …... " Katy held her breath as the minister recited the old fashioned wedding rites. She held her breath again when he stated "If anyone here knows any reason why these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace..."

It was only when the minister pronounced them husband and wife, that Katy felt well and truly married. She gave a big whooping yell of joy before Eric grabbed her and kissed her deeply to the cheers of the invited guests.

While more than five hundred invited guests entertained themselves in the huge reception ballroom, Katy and Eric and their attendants stayed and posed for pictures for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, they moved into the ballroom to join their guests.

For their first dance as Mr. and Mrs Eric Northman, they danced to "Love is the Foundation." For the second dance, Eric turned Katy over to Danie, and he danced with Pam. The couple danced every dance after that with the invited guests. Katy had to try hard to hide her revulsion when the Magister took her in his arms for a waltz. "I'll see you two young lovers later," he leered at her.

Katy drank lots of champagne and managed to get some food down while Eric and the other vamps sipped on Royal Blue. The evening was hectic, but they managed to spend a little time at each table as a professional vamp photographer followed them, recording their every move.

The wedding reception was still going strong when Eric and Katy left La Maisson's in his limo at midnight. They planned to have a few hours to themselves before the vampire ceremony at the palace at four. Eric had rented the hall till dawn, and the food, liquor and blood would flow freely till then. It looked like many of the guests planned to take full advantage of that fact. Most of the guests did not see the bridal couple as they quietly slipped out a back door.

Only Pam, Daniel, Judith, Bill, Sookie and the vamp guards were supposed to know that Eric and Katy planned to slip out early. Katy was laughing happily as she and Eric walked in the back door of the palace. The palace seemed unusually empty, and that suited the two of them just fine. They didn't want an audience for what they planned to do.

"I have to pee bad. I'll meet you upstairs in a minute, Mr. Northman," she told Eric as she rushed to the bathroom on the first floor.

"I'll be waiting, Mrs. Northman," he laughed as he flew up the stairs to the master bedroom.

Katy had finished her business and washed her hands. A piece of the paper towel had caught in the clasp of her diamond bracelet and she was looking down trying to dislodge it when she heard the bathroom door open behind her. She barely had a chance to look up before Tiffany and Ralph attacked. Then the pain began.

As she lay in Eric's arms now, a fresh memory of the pain she endured and the terrrible fear and heartache Eric endured for these past two and a half terrible weeks, exploded inside Katy's mind and made her tremble with hatred and fury.

'I'm glad you killed those bastards," she told Eric again. She snuggled up against him. They both fell into a peaceful sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Dark Desire – Chapter 25

The night after Katy recovered her memories and her blood bond, Eric immediately contacted the Magister upon awakening. A new date for the vampire wedding and turning ceremonies was set. Although Katy and Eric preferred a simple ceremony this time with only a few invited guests, the Magister insisted that it be larger even than the human wedding reception held at La Maisson's on New Years night. He proclaimed that since Eric was a king, the vampire wedding rites had to held with all the pomp and circumstance due a reigning monarch. The Magister also insisted that the ritual turning of King's Eric's human consort be witnessed by as many vampires as possible. It was Eric and Katy's duty, he said.

"Since human's celebrate Valentine's Day as a day for lovers, I am sure that Lady Kathryn will appreciate the date I have chosen," the ancient gray vampire sneered with unveiled scorn. The Magister had a rather morbid sense of humor: he set the date for midnight on February 14th. The ritual turning ceremony would start no later than 12:45am on the morning of February 15th.

Once that was settled, the two prepared to go downstairs and meet the staff and guests together. At the bedroom door, Eric turned to Katy and asked, "Are you ready?"

Katy was a nervous and anxious; she was concerned that she would not remember everyone and end up hurting someone's feelings. Nonetheless, she smiled up at him and told him, "Yes. Let's go."

Eric placed Katy's slender hand on his arm, covered it with his big one, and the two of them walked down the long upstairs hallway to the grand staircase. As she walked, a warm sense of familiarity began to lessen Katy's anxiety. She was startled at how much she had come to think of this old mansion as home. Despite the gauche gold and red carpeting and drapes and the overly ornate white and gold French Provincial furniture she hated, Katy knew that she had never been happier than with Eric in this house.

A cheer erupted from below as Katy and Eric appeared at the head of the grand staircase. Moments before, Eric had alerted Daniel Brady that Katy's memories had returned, and she was ready to take her place as his official wife and consort.. Every every vamp guard and vamp employee who worked in or around the palace was standing at attention in two long lines facing each other in the foyer below.

Connie Madrid, the palace's human Chatelaine; Jillian Brown, Marcy Goodwin and her husband, Robert, Eric's three human telepaths were standing there also. Katy had no idea how they knew she would be downstairs this night. At the end of the line, Judith Vardamon stood along side Daniel.

It reminded Katy of soldiers undergoing military inspection. "Welcome back, Lady Kathryn," they said in unison. As she passed them by, the human's reached out to touch Katy's hand or arm and welcome her back. The vampires stood stoically, but Katy saw welcome in their eyes, too. Katy greeted everyone in turn by name and thanked them for being there.

When Katy got to Judith, her closest friend, the little vamp could not contain herself. She gave a joyful screech and hugged Katy so hard, Katy thought her ribs would crack. Judith was tiny, but there was no doubt she had vampire strength. Katy tapped Judith on the arm, and she dropped her arms immediately.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just so glad to see you again!" Tears of blood coated Judith's face. Her unabashed joy at seeing Katy looking so well, touched the human woman's heart to the quick. Daniel bent down and her on the cheek. Within minutes, Eric, Katy, Daniel and Judith were talking as if nothing ever happened. They proceeded to Eric's office.

While Eric and Daniel talked official matters, Judith filled Katy in on all the palace gossip and told her some new jokes she had learned. Katy laughed so hard, she thought her sides would split. She felt happy; it had been a long time since she felt like laughing. Feeling Eric's eyes on her, Katy turned and gave him a brilliant smile. He had been broadcasting his worry and uneasiness to her since they left their bedroom.

"I am all right," she mouthed to him. She could feel relief flowing through his body as he relaxed. An hour later, Eric took the four of the to Reggie's Cafe to celebrate.

The next day, Katy came down early, around nine o'clock in the morning. She went immediately to the kitchen and had coffee with Connie Madrid; the two of them had a long comfortable chat. Later she spent an hour with Jillian Brown and Marcy and Robert Goodwin in their offices upstairs. About 11:30 Katy and Marcy Goodwin went downstairs. Katy wanted to greet the human doctor she had hired in December to take her place in the staff infirmary after her turning. Dr. Hammond had been there only a few days, he started on January 15th as scheduled.

The clinic had quite a few patients scheduled for that day. The human staff had begun to bring their children and spouses in for treatment. Katy rolled up her sleeves and worked right along side Dr. Hammond and Marcy. When she went upstairs to be on hand when Eric woke up for the night, Katy felt tired, but happy.

Katy was grateful at how fast her life returned to a normal routine. During the ensuing weeks, she leased a large space in a small strip mall not too far from the palace. With help from both the human and vamp staff, all the medical equipment was moved from the infirmary to the larger facilities. Katy ordered even more expensive and more sophisticated equipment as well. The Northman Medical Clinic would be relatively small, but it would be well equipped and well staffed; it had to be to begin servicing human employees of Eric's many other business. Within two weeks, Katy and, Dr. Hammond hired a third human doctor two more nurses and a receptionist for the front desk.

Katy had every intention of working at the Northman Medical Clinic too. She hired another doctor, a receptionist and a nurse to work the night shift. All of them were supes of some kind. After the weres came out a couple of years before, they had trouble finding a human doctor to treat them, so the same government that was adamant that a vampire should not be allowed to treat humans, had no problem with a vampire treating supernatural patients. Large donations made by Eric to the American Medical Association and to the human governor of Louisiana greased the way for Katy to become the first vampire doctor to be licensed as a "supe doctor" in the United States.

Although Eric had spoke before their human weddings on what to expect during the vampire ceremony and the subsequent turning, he was determined that Katy not suffer any unpleasant surprises or regrets over her choice to become a vampire. He went over everything once more. He even asked Judith to help him fill in anything he hadn't told Katy. Both Eric and Judith spoke plainly; they didn't sugarcoat anything. The only concern Katy expressed to either was her fear of not being able to control the bloodlust she knew every vampire endured during their first year.

"Don't let me become a monster," she begged Eric. "Don't let me hurt or kill a human, even if I am starving."

"Never, lover. I will teach you. I promise," he assured her.

Finally Valentines Day came. Despite the cool, but dry February weather, the ceremony was held outside under a waterproof canvas tent covered by blood red silk. The tent was large enough to accommodate over six hundred vampire guests.

Sookie Compton was the only human allowed to attend, and she was allowed to stay for the vampire wedding only. She had to leave the palace grounds immediately afterward. Eric paid to have Bill and Sookie put up at the best vampire hotels in New Orleans, and he arranged for his limo to take her to the hotel after the wedding ceremony.

The huge wedding tent was strung with softly glowing golden lights. It was furnished with rows upon rows of elegantly cushioned chairs separated by a blood red carpet extending from the front of the tent to the altar in the center. The guest list for this wedding included every vampire king and queen in the country and several foreign ones too. Every vampire of any significant import vied for an engraved invitation to the Vampire Wedding of King Eric Northman and his human wife, Kathryn Dumont Northman; many vampires were disappointed not to get one.

The Northman wedding was not the biggest or most elaborate vampire wedding by any means. But a royal wedding, followed by the voluntary ritual turning of an already blood bonded human, was considered one of the most important vampire social events of the century. News of Katy's brutal assault and subsequent amnesia occurring from that attack on the night of her human wedding had spread far and wide throughout the vampire community. The story of how Eric had defied the Magister and refused to turn her until she had recovered all of her memories had taken on an almost legendary quality. Katy had become an object of curiosity, and vamps of all strike wanted to meet her.

Once the music signaling the start of the ceremony began, Eric led Katy down the aisle to the center of the tent where six foot by four foot rectangular marble altar stood on a three tiered dais. The marble was covered with a black and gold altar cloth. Symbols which Katy could not understand were painted in gold and black on all sides of the altar. There were unusual carving as well on the front of the altar.

Two heavy ornate gold candelabra, studded with the largest rubies Katy had ever seen, held seven tall black candles each. In the middle of the altar, a small golden casket sat on a red velvet cushion. In front of the altar, the Magister stood dressed in a black ceremonial robe with his cowl covering his face. The smell of the burning candles slightly nauseated Katy; she later learned that the candles were made mostly with human blood.

Eric was dressed in a black Italian suit and black shirt and tie. Katy was dressed in a simple but elegant black off the shoulder gown with her hair pinned up tightly off her neck and held in place by onyx and diamond hair pins. Katy's graceful neck and beautiful shoulders were bare to make the later turning easier.

Eric's throat tightened visibly; he was nervous, but he couldn't be prouder of his Katy. She stood at his side, tall and beautiful and unafraid. She radiated her love for him, just as she radiated her fearlessness. Her fair skin and perfect complexion shone with an unearthly glow; Eric thought he had never seen any woman, human or vampire, look more beautiful than Katy did tonight.

The vampire guests noted the elegant and beautiful couple with obvious approval. Eric and Katy paid paid no mind to the soft oohing and aahing of their guests as they strode down the aisle and ascended the dais. They had eyes only for each other. Magister.

At the stroke of midnight, the Magister pushed his cowl back and began the wedding ritual. Without a hitch, Katy and Eric repeated the words that bound them together for eternity. Although the usual vamp wedding vows called for the couple to be bound only for "one hundred years," Katy and Eric insisted that the words be changed to "forever." The Magister, who was greedily contemplating the donation of five million dollars, readily agreed.

The hall was silent as the Magister turned, opened the casket, took out a ceremonial knife and passed it to Eric. Eric slit his wrist with it and passed it to Katy who did the same. They joined their wrists together as the Magister pronounced them bonded as husband and wife. The guests erupted in cheers.

As required Eric and Katy were escorted to a small tent along side the larger wedding tent to officially consummate their vampire marriage. The vamps needed their proof that the wedding was indeed a true one, not merely a convenient lie. Despite the small tent's canvas and silk walls there was no real privacy, but the neither Eric or Katy cared. Their lovemaking was intentionally short and fulfilling, but loud. The vamps in the wedding tent stamped, howled and snarled in approval as they both smelled and heard the the bride and groom come to orgasm.

Thirty minutes later, Katy and Eric stood in front of the Magister again. Eric bared his fangs, stepped up to Katy and enfolded her in his arms. Katy wrapped her arms around Eric, leaned back slightly and arched her graceful neck sideways allowing him complete access. Eric sank his fangs in deeply, but gently; he was determined not to cause Katy even a moment of pain. Eric began to take her unique spicy sweet blood. It filled his mouth; he began to suck a little harder, but then he lightened up once more.

It took a major effort on his part, but Eric controlled everything like a maestro playing a violin He ensured that his bite caused Katy absolutely no pain, only pleasure. Katy orgasmed once more and began to moan as her blood rushed to meet Eric's lips. Eric growled deep in his chest; he moaned with his own orgasm.

The scent of sex and blood was strong in the air as Eric sucked at the wounds his fangs made in Katy's neck. The vamp guests could not contain their growing arousal. They stamped, howled, snarled and growled in a sexual frenzy of their own. Some of them began to have sex with each other. Others were so aroused, they called out unspeakable words. Still others urged Eric to go faster, bite harder, drink deeper, but he paid them no mind. He continued his slow steady, gentle, but deliberate pull at his love's delicate throat.

It seemed to take an eternity, but Katy eventually felt herself begin to drift in a semi-conscious state. She wasn't afraid, but she was surprised that she didn't feel cold; a warm blackness surround her. After a while, she felt no more.

Eric knew the second that Katy was on the edge of death. He moved his mouth from Katy's neck and ripped open his wrist with his fangs and sank to the floor with her on his lap. With one finger he opened Katy's mouth and began to drip his blood into it. For a few terrifying seconds, nothing happened.

A hush fell over the crowd. A great cheer rose up when Katy's hands reached up and clamped onto Eric's wrist. With her luscious lips, she formed a seal around the wound in his wrist and began to suck in big, gulping gasps. Since their very first blood exchange, Katy had loved the taste of Eric's rich vampire blood as much as her loved hers. She drank and drank; she felt insatiable. The wounds on her neck healed.

Eric quivered in relief, then orgasmed hard again. The vamp audience around them howled, growled and clapped their approval. Finally knowing it was time, Eric said, "Stop Katy! It's done." She did, and he drew his wrist away. Katy watched fascinated, as always, as Eric's vampire blood healed his wound quickly. Soon there was no evidence of a wound at all.

Eric held Katy against him as he stood up. "It's done!" he said again to the Magister and the crowd. The Magister looked at Katy and nodded.

Eric turned to Judith. "Give the Magister and Miss Flanagan their checks; they earned them," he said. His voice was heavy laden with sarcasm.

Turning back to the Magister, Eric said, "If you will excuse me, I must take care of my wife; my child." He picked Katy up in his strong arms and carried her out the back of the tent and disappeared into the night. For three days and nights, he slept with her in the earth in a remote spot on the grounds of the palace. He had spent weeks searching for exactly the right spot. Only Pam and Daniel knew where it was.

Katy was already asleep as Eric covered them both with earth. She slept without waking for three nights. On the fourth night, well after midnight, Katy woke up. She didn't know where she was; felt alone and lost. Katy felt the heaviness of the earth on her face and her body. It sent her into a state of abject terror; she panicked; her mind was heavy and thick.

It took several long agonizing seconds for her to remember where she was and why. Even though logic told her she didn't need to breathe, she felt like she was suffocating. She began to claw at the earth above her trying to get out.

A warm hand touched her arm, and she instantly began to calm. Eric was in her mind, talking softly to her without speaking. For the first time ever, Katy could read Eric's mind, and he could read hers. She was startled by this. She didn't expect this either.

"Its our blood bond. When I turned you, it got even stronger. I have been listening to your dreams for three nights now. I have never read another vampire's mind before, so I know it must be the effect of our blood bond on our maker/child bond." Eric spoke aloud this time. He seemed extremely excited by this fact. His voice held both wonder and awe.

Katy reached out to him with both her body and her mind. He was right there beside her; he was inside her head as strongly as before only this time there were words to explain the emotions and feelings. Katy noted that when she touched Eric, his body no longer felt cool to her; he felt as warm as any human male now. She wondered how that was possible.

As he read her mind, Eric silently answered. "Your body is vampire now; your body temperature is the same as mine. Vampires do not feel cold to one another." Katy was delighted; that was something that neither Eric or Judith had bothered to mention before.

Together they clawed their way up out of the ground. Eric stood for a few moments holding her close to him. Hand in hand, they silently began to walk toward the palace. Katy felt strong, but she felt peaceful now. The night seemed more alive to her than she ever remembered. She never realized before how much she loved the night.

She was perfectly calm until she was about one hundred feet from the garage in back of the house. Two limos had pulled up to the back door. Four vamps of obvious importance disembarked and headed toward the back door. With the vamps, were six humans, four women and two males.

The smell of human blood hit her with the fury of a hurricane; it blindsided her. Katy began to shake uncontrollably as bloodlust hit her for the very first time. Eric embraced her tightly and kept walking her toward the mansion, but she strained hard against his arms. She was much stronger than when she was human, but she would never be stronger than Eric.

She snarled and growled in fury when he did not release her. She wanted at the humans; she wanted to drink their blood. She wanted to rip their throats out and paint her face with their blood. Katy was instantly horrified by those thoughts and the intensity of the burning hunger within her.

"I am so hungry, Eric. All I can think of is their hot wonderful blood. It smells so good, and I want it so bad." She tried to get away from Eric again, but his arms clamped even more tightly around her.

Katy suddenly stopped struggling to get free. "Oh, God, Eric. Judith and Sookie were right. I am a monster," she told him. She wanted to vomit in disgust.

"No, lover. What you feel is normal. We all go through it. You will learn to control it soon. I will help you. I promise," he told her.

Through their combined blood bond and maker/child bond, Eric felt every terrible emotion; every pang of bloodlust. He felt her horror of what she now was and her fear of what she may become. He clearly heard what she was thinking. Right now she was terrified. With these horrible urges roiling through her, she didn't trust herself to be around humans at all.

Eric sighed resolutely. He had been afraid this would happen, and he had made contingency plans. Instead of entering the palace, Eric guided her to a waiting limo, pushed her inside and sat down beside her. The limo doors automatically locked. He warmed up three warm bottles of True Blood in the microwave in the front of the passenger cabin and handed them to her. Katy drank them down gagging as she did so. The limo started to move up the interstate towards Shreveport.

The fancy vampire resort in the Caribbean where he had hoped to take her for their two week honeymoon was heavily staffed with humans. It was was out of the question; they could not go there with Katy in the state she was in. He told the vamp limo driver to take them to his house in Shreveport.

It was along ride, so he closed the screen between the driver and the passenger cabins. He laid Katy out on the long, comfortable leather seat, and made love to her for the duration of the trip. Their lovemaking was wild; he did not have to hold back now, and she gave back in kind. They were ferocious and primitive. They were two animals mating in a storm of passion and lust.

They bit, clawed and scratched each other; told each other how much they loved each other and then clawed and scratched some more. Every wound healed completely within seconds. Katy was delighted with that. Despite its ferocity, their intense lovemaking calmed her far better than the True Blood he fed her.

Eric and Katy lived in his Shreveport home for four weeks. He tended to her like a mother bird tending her chick. He fed her True Blood, and when that seemed to sicken her, be used the bags of blood he had brought with him in the trunk of the limo and stored in a freezer.

He taught her how to fly. He taught her how to move with vampire speed. He taught her how to speak to other vampires using only vampire telepathy. He taught her the ins and outs of vampire politics. He taught her how to hunt.

They hunted big game like deer and wild cats. They didn't drink the blood of these animals, the hunt was just practice to hone her skills. Once he was sure she knew what she was doing, they began to hunt each other. The hunt became a game.

Eric could feel how much Katy liked the hunt. She welcomed the stealth and the stalking. She reveled in the thrill of bringing down prey. They hunted every night. It wasn't long before Katy realized that Eric was using the thrill of hunt to distract her from the bloodlust that she woke up with every night. Just as he used the glorious sex that followed each hunt as a diversion too.

During those four weeks, Eric tried to each her how to use glamour on animals, but he wasn't very successful. Katy told him she didn't like it and refused to do it. During her third week in Shreveport, he made her practice on human subjects, but she got dizzy herself, so she stopped.

"I guess I am not a very good vampire; am I?" she asked him after the second attempt to glamour a human ended up with her almost as glamoured as her victim.

All during their stay in Shreveport, Eric kept in contact with Daniel and the others at the palace through teleconferencing. Judith and Daniel made several visits to see them. Eric was a good regent; his kingdom was set up to run like a well oiled machine even if he was not actually in New Orleans.

During the first few weeks, when Katy's bloodlust was the strongest, she raged at Eric; she pounded on his chest with her fists for turning her into the monster she thought she was. One minute she told him she just wanted to tear and rip apart human flesh; she wanted to suck and suck until the human was drained completely. The next minute, she was berating herself for her dark desires.

"Judith and Sookie were right. I should have never let myself be turned. I am a monster. I want you to kill me," She told him over and over. Eric winced inside each time he heard those words, but Katy didn't care. She knew Eric felt her horror through their bond; she didn't care about that either. She was sure she possessed by a demon, and she wanted to be free.

During those episodes, Eric held her close while her fists flailed at him until she calmed and then fed her blood from the store in the freezer. He warmed it up in the microwave, but sometimes, he barely had time to palpate it before she tore it out of his hands and sucked it down. While the bloodlust demon raged strongly inside her, Katy couldn't seem to drink enough blood to sooth the hunger that burned in her.

In the third week, Katy woke up one night and felt something was different. When he offered her a bag of blood, Katy said she wasn't all that hungry.

Eric looked at her hard; he was elated. She was telling the truth. Eric remembered the horror and hunger he had felt after his turning. Appius had encouraged him to kill, and he had done so. He remembered every single life he had taken during that awful time, and he regretted them all. He wanted things to be different for Katy.

After two weeks, although Katy began to establish control of her dark desires, she suffered her ups and downs like all baby vamps. There were nights when she thought she was in total control of the beast that raged within her, only to learn how foolish she was.

During this time together, Eric and Katy made some wonderful discoveries. Their blood bond was so much deeper now. They were closer and more attuned to each other then ever before; it was as if they physically carried the other around in their hearts and their minds. Being physically separated from each other gave them physical pain.

The love they felt for each other before seemed like that of mere adolescents, compared to what they felt for each other now. Their love was so much more mature; it was deeper, richer and much more complete. With that deeper love, they attained new heights of almost indescribable erotic pleasure as they made love It was this love that, more than anything, helped Katy survived the next trial she faced.

During the third week in Shreveport, at Eric's request, Pam sent a fangbanger over from Fangtasia. She was to be their meal for the night and the first time Katy would take blood from a living human. Katy watched in fascination as Eric's fangs sank in the drank from the woman's throat and he began to drink.

Katy's fangs fangs ran out as soon as the human walked into the house. She watched him suck at the woman's throat. The few drops of blood running down the woman's neck to her bosom bean to drive her crazy. She was mewling and growling in her need as Eric fed. She felt hungry, but she felt hot and sexually excited too. She wanted him to hurry up.

The moment Eric released the woman, Katy was on her in a flash. Her fangs were sunk deeply into the fangbanger's neck as she pulled hard against to fill her mouth with blood. It was a glorious almost blissful feeling combined with the pleasure of a hard sexual orgasm. The blood tasted so good, Katy bit deeper and began to snarl as she continued to suck hard. A tiny scream escaped the woman's mouth.

"As your maker, I order you to stop, Katy!" Eric's voice thundered through her. It was the first time Eric ever commanded her to do anything as her maker. The sound of his voice sounded so very weird and different. It seemed to vibrate through every cell in her body like the ringing of a large bell. Her body seemed to oscillate in response.

The bloodlust was stronger than ever in her now, and Katy wanted desperately to drain the woman, but she could not. An unbearable, irresistible compulsion to obey Eric made her release the woman. She jumped back and stared at Eric with wide eyes, shivering as if she felt a sharp, icy cold wind against bare skin. She knew that was silly because vampires don't feel the cold, but she rubbed her arms anyway.

Katy stood as if in shock. In a moment, the bloodlust cleared, and she looked at her handiwork. The woman's throat was ripped and bleeding, and she was screaming in terror. The unceasing keening wail was like a buzz saw in Katy's ears. Her eyes filled with horror and revulsion as she backed farther away from the woman. "I'm sorry!

"I'm sorry!" she kept saying over and over to the woman, but the fangbanger just continued to scream. Katy felt a deep sense of horror and fear at what she had done. Just when she didn't think it could feel any worse, the fangbanger's mind exploded inside her head bringing with it all the woman's fear, pain and terror. Katy gasped and sunk to her knees, stunned.

In a flash, Eric was at the fangbanger's side, glamouring her hard to forget what just happened. Biting into his finger, he rubbed his blood over the woman's neck; and sent visions of an erotic dream to her. Katy watched as the wounds healed. She felt the woman's terror subside and be replaced with a dreamy state.

Eric opened a tote bag the woman had brought with her. Inside was two small bottles of Tropicana orange juice, and a bottle with some brownish gray capsules in it. The label on the bottle read "Desiccated Liver." Grabbing a handful of the capsules, Eric shoved them at the woman along with one of the bottles of orange juice. "Here, take these, drink the juice and go," he commanded.

By the time the fangbanger finished the juice, she was smiling. She was dreaming that she was having sex with one of the vampires at Fangtasia, and it was the best sex she ever had in her life. Katy felt the woman's emotions turn from fear to sexual arousal to elation. The woman was happier than she had been in a long, long time.

"What just happened?" Katy demanded as she watched the woman walk out the door.

"I used my power as your maker to stop you from killing that woman," Eric said shakily as he ran a big hand through his blonde hair. He expelled a deep breath.

'Duh! I guessed that. What I mean is: What happened afterward? I felt her terror and pain. I could feel everything she felt, even when she was daydreaming. It scared the living daylights out of me!"

"Every vampire has a special gift, Katy. I think we just found out what yours is," Eric told her with resignation and worry clear on his face.

Katy looked blankly at Eric. "I don't follow," she said.

"Apparently, you are an empath; a strong one too. Probably as strong as Judith. You were tapped into her emotions so deeply, I felt them through our bond too."

"I don't understand; I can't be a telepath. I am a null, remember. I don't send or receive psionic energies."

"Well, you do now, lover."

Katy grimaced when Eric said that. "I don't want to be an empath," she replied.

"Well, whether you want to, or not; you are one. I thought my head was going to explode! I understand now why you had so much trouble trying to use glamour. You're just like Judith, she can't glamour worth a damn, either. She always ends up feeling glamoured herself. Damned inconvenient, if you ask me."

"I am sorry, Eric."

"Well, just look at the bright side, lover; it's not all bad news. You don't have to worry about becoming a monster now. You will never be able to hurt a human without feeling their pain."

He laughed lightly, "Wouldn't you know, my beautiful vampire wife is a tame pussycat, just like Judith Vardamon. I know you kept saying you wanted to use bagged blood like Judith, but I never expected this." He shook his head as if a cosmic joke had been played on them both.

Katy read Eric's thoughts; he didn't think it was funny, or inconvenient: Eric was worried about a wife who couldn't feed or glamour humans with out feeling their pain. That could be a real problem in an emergency.

Katy didn't feel sorry for herself at all. A great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She suddenly laughed out loud.

"You're right about that, Eric. I can't be a monster even if I wanted. When I felt her emotions, it was so strong, it made me feel sick knowing what I did. It completely drove away any urge to feed on her. But don't worry, my husband, I will learn to control this thing. If I am starving and there is no other choice, I'll feed on a human like a pro, so teach me how to feed without hurting my prey. Teach me to stop myself, before I kill."

Eric did just that during the rest of their stay in Shreveport. Katy learned her lessons willingly. By the time they returned to New Orleans, Katy felt confident and sure of herself. She felt totally in control.


	26. Chapter 26

Dark Desire – Epilogue

The Bon Temps woods, almost ten months later,

It was an unusually warm night for December as Katy raced through the thicket, skimming easily over the ground, avoiding trees, jumping over sinkholes and fallen logs. The bright, full moon lit the landscape, but Katy needed no light to see; her night vision was excellent now.

Nocturnal, warm blooded animals shuffled and snuffled in the darkness. Katy could hear the screeches of mating pairs nearby. She could hear the death cries of others as predators found their prey. From a nearby pond, she heard the croaking of frogs and crickets as they played their mating songs. In the distance, the howls of a large pack of wolves sounded eerily through the bright night. She heard the low snarl of a wildcat stalking through the trees a few feet away. They were all sounds of night and Katy loved them all. Night was her time.

Katy moved on, but made no sound as she ran. Although she was not moving at vampire speed, she was still moving so fast her T-shirt and jogging pants were plastered against her body. A sound that was too soft and too quiet caught her attention. She stopped for a second brought her head up listened and sniffed the air. "Eric," she thought.

Laughter spilled out as exhilaration coursed wildly through her veins. She began to run again, moving at vampire speed now. Stopping after a few moments, she listened and sniffed again... nothing "Lost him!" she exulted to herself. She changed course once more, moving in a 180 degree direction.

Eric was hunting her; it was his turn tonight. She was determined not to let him win this time. The impulse to laugh out loud again was strong, but she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle it. Although Eric was more than likely a good mile or more behind her now, his sharp ears would have easily picked out the sound of her voice from all the other night noises.

As usual, both she and Eric had both turned off their blood bond when they started the game tonight near their house in Shreveport. "Its not fair to take advantage of the bond to find each other. We have to find each other on our own," she told him months ago.

It didn't matter if the blood bond was silent; she could smell him anyway. He had given her the usual fifteen minute head start. She was determined to make the most of it, planting false trails and doubling back on herself over and over again.

They hunted each other in the woods running from Shreveport to Bill and Sookie's house at least once a week now. Every time they hunted each other, Katy had made the most of the time scouting out new hiding places. Each time that she was the prey, it took Eric a little longer to catch her, but catch her he always did. She frowned to herself as she remembered that she never once won the game, but then she smiled.

That wasn't quite true that she never won; the prize for winning the hunt as always was a rousing round of very creative and uninhibited sex that the victor always got to control. Eric was always quite inventive, so she was a winner either way. But still, Katy had always been very competitive, and she was even more so now. She wanted to win, even if just once. "It's my turn tonight, love." she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

Stopping for a third time beside a big pine tree to get her bearings, Katy lifted her nose to the wind and inhaled. She could smell that Eric was closer now and moving fast. She looked up at the large yellow full moon as it rose over the crest of a small hill in the distance. "Time to move," she told to herself.

She ran about a half a mile when she hit a small stream. Changing directions, she ran through the water downstream for several more miles. A noise off to the side caught her attention. Coming to an abrupt stop, she sniffed the air again just to make sure it wasn't Eric. It was a large stag. Satisfied that her husband was nowhere around, she made a flying leap and landed a good fifty feet away on solid ground and began running again. She knew exactly where she was headed: a small cave near the starting place that Eric did not know about.

Katy gloried in the feel of her legs pumping up and down and the feel of her feet hitting the soft forest floor as she moved. She loved the sound and the feel of the wind as it blew past her; she loved the way the trees swayed and cast shadows over the landscape even in the dead of winter. She loved the call of the night animals that preyed in the night. She loved everything about this game.

About fifty feet away from where she last stopped, Eric stood behind a large tree and watched his beloved as she moved. He reveled in the excitement that rolled off of her as she used her enhanced abilities to avoid him. His Katy moved as gracefully as a gazelle. She never made a sound as she traveled through the heavily wooded area. He had never been more than fifty feet away from her during the whole game, but he stayed hidden and well upwind from her.

Though Katy didn't know it, he knew every single one of her carefully found hiding places. He knew where she was heading. He had deliberately left his scent in various places in the woods to confuse her when she tried to use her heightened sense of smell to find him. More than a thousand years as a vampire had sharpened his instincts as a hunter. There were vampires much older than he, but there was none better at the hunt.

The hunt always excited him. It made his dead heart pump. It called to all of his animal instincts; he always got his prey. Tonight he was so sexually aroused thinking of the payoff at the end of the game, he could scarcely contain his excitement.

Every every cell in his body craved his soulmate as it did from the moment he first met her. It had only gotten worse since he had turned her. In all his long life, Eric had never thought that it was possible to want anyone as much as he wanted Katy. She had become integral to his very existence, and every night he wanted her even more; so much so he often felt out of control, and it scared him sometimes.

Many times tonight, he wanted to laugh out loud as he watched Katy double back and lay her false trails. Katy was good, much better than vamps several hundred times her age, but he would win as he always did. She was his; she could never get away from him.

Eric didn't need the blood bond to find her. He didn't even need the bond he had as her maker. He had another advantage that Katy didn't know about, and he used this advantage shamelessly: Since her turning, they could read each others mind; they could hear each others thoughts. Their telepathy didn't extend to anyone else, so they both concluded it was a result of their combined blood bond and maker/child bond. But Eric had realized early on that Katy could not read his mind unless he was in the same room, or within ten or fifteen feet of her.

He, on the other hand, could read Katy's thoughts over many, many miles. He never told her that. That's how he knew what she was planning tonight. Eric knew it would take Katy another twenty minutes before she felt safe enough to seek out her hiding place. He began to glide silently through the woods, stalking her slowly.

He laughed to himself again. Ten minutes after she set off at the start of the game tonight, he had found her cave and prepared it for them with soft furs, scented candles and rose petals scattered all over the makeshift bed. Even though they didn't need them, he would light the candles at the last minute. Several bottles of the best Regency True, a new real/synthetic blend that he and Judith had just put on the market, sat in the back of the small cave along with a small battery operated microwave. Regency was even better than Royal Blue and even more expensive. Their love den was ready.

He was cheating, of course, but Eric was determined to win this game. "A man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do," he thought happily to himself. They both enjoyed the game so much, and he was even more competitive than she was. He wasn't ready to let her win yet. "Maybe, I'll let her win next time," he thought, even as he knew wouldn't.

Standing in front of the covered opening to her cave, Katy waited a few seconds, listening as she sniffed the air again. When she was satisfied that Eric was nowhere around, she dropped to all fours and began to remove the brush that blocked the entrance.

She was giggling to herself when she suddenly was tackled by a big, heavy body and knocked sideways. The two of them rolled over and over down a small incline, coming to a stop a few feet from a small stream. She was flat on her stomach and her attacker was laying with his full weight on her body and his face buried in her neck.

"Thought you could escape me, lover? Never!" A familiar deep voice rumbled against the sensitive flesh of her throat sending thrills down to her groin. The voice was all male and very pleased with itself. A feeling of joy rushed through Katy, all thoughts of her winning the game were gone.

"Where did you come from?" Katy purred. "You weren't there a minute ago."

Eric just laughed. In one liquid movement he was on his feet and holding Katy close to his side with one large arm. He tilted her chin up and looked down into her luminescent gray eyes. In the clear moonlight, Katy could see that Eric's eyes were darkened with desire.

Eric held her for a long moment. His chest tightened as a rush of deep emotion made him feel lightheaded and weak kneed. He felt as if his dead heart would burst. He tried to lighten the moment. "I gotcha. I win! I always do," he said smugly.

"Really? That's funny because I thought I won every time." Katy said softly in a half whisper. She was mesmerized by the feeling of love that rolled off of him; she was fascinated by the emotion she saw in his eye. It made her feel intoxicated; she felt breathless and shaky on her feet.

Eric finished brushing away the branches and twigs that covered the opening to the cave and gently pushed Katy through; he entered right behind her. In the darkness of the cave, Katy's vampire senses could smell and see the rose petals and the candles. She exclaimed, "Ah, Eric..." as he moved to light the candles. Happiness welled in her heart.

"For you, lover," he said simply.

Katy pushed Eric down on the furs and began to straddle him, but he caught her, pulled her down along side him and molded his body to hers. He moved his large leg in between hers and scraped it lightly against her thigh. Even through her clothes, the sensation made her feel hot all over as little flutters of pleasure raced upward.

Eric placed his nose into her throat and began to inhale, drawing her essence into his lungs several times. Her smell clearly pleased him, and it always excited her when he did that. A hot streak shot from her throat down to her hardened nipples and then to her groin. Katy gasped as he began to knead her buttocks.

Eric's tongue began to make warm wet circles where his nose was only moments before. Katy could feel the excitement in his body as his arousal started to pulse against her, but it was restrained by his jeans. Katy slipped her hands down, unzipped his pants and freed him. She lifted her T-shirt and rubbed his erection against her exposed skin, cupping her hands around him as she did. Since she had been turned, their bodies were the same temperature, so his skin no longer felt cool to her; it felt very warm. Eric trembled and shivered as she touched him; his erection growing longer, thicker and harder. He began to pant in short harsh gasps.

He began to whisper to her in his native language. Katy understood every word now, and whispered the words back to him in the same language. She didn't bother to unbutton his shirt, she ripped the offending piece of cloth off of him and flicked her tongue across his hardened nipples. She gently scraped his skin with her extended fangs. Eric groaned deep in his throat and jerked as her tongue lashed him again and again; his own fangs were fully extended now. He wanted so much to bite her, to sink his fangs into her deep, to taste her precious sweet blood as it filled his mouth, but he clamped down hard on that instinctive urge. He would hold off biting into her sweet throat until she was screaming for him to do it as she sank her own fangs deeply into his chest or shoulder and drank deeply of him too. The biting would come at the moment of a shared climax that would rock them both while they drew from each others veins and became one. He had sex with hundreds of thousands of women in his long life, but nothing had ever prepared him for the pleasure of making love to his vampire wife. Nothing on this earth had ever felt so good; it never got old.

Seconds later, with Eric's tongue probing deeply inside her mouth, Katy was struggling as she tried to get her T-shirt and bra off. She quickly realized Eric's big hands were in the way, touching and feeling every little bit of skin that she exposed. "Ooh! Stop that, Eric. Help me!" she demanded.

"I have to touch you!" he groaned, rasping out the words. He pulled her sweat pants down and cupped her mons with a big hand. With the pad of his thumb pressing down slightly against her clit; he began to rub.

Katy shivered. "Not fair! Help me get these damn things off, and you can touch me much better," she exclaimed as she wriggled and moved, trying to get her bra and her T-shirt off. Her movements only inflamed Eric's lust and passion for her even more. Finally her bare breasts were pressed tightly up against his bare chest. He sighed happily as he rolled her under him.

"Ahem!" Pam's voice sounded from outside the cave entrance.

Eric and Katy both moaned in unison. "Go away, Pam!"

"Can't! You're already late. Daniel and Judith want to make an announcement soon, and Bill and Sookie have an announcement to make too. Besides, don't you two ever do anything besides fuck?" she asked with a dirty laugh.

"Not if we can help it." Eric answered back.

"What announcements?" Katy asked.

"You'll just have to be at Fangtasia in ten minutes to find out. Come on you two. Let's get going. They don't want to make the announcements without you," Pam said firmly.

"Do we have to?" Katy asked Eric, but even as she said it, she was putting her clothes back on. He was dressing too.

"We'll be there in five minutes. Give us another five to put some suitable clothing on once we get there." Eric said. Katy could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Okay." Pam said. By the time the two of them stepped out of the cave, Eric's first child was gone.

"What's going on?" Eric asked Katy. Katy had a pretty good idea, but she didn't say. Neither announcement was her secret to tell.

Thirty minutes later, Eric and Katy sat in Fangtasia. Katy had donned a black silk blouse, a flowing black skirt and stiletto heels that Eric loved. He was dressed in his typical black sleeveless T-shirt, jeans and boots. The bar was closed tonight, except for a few invited human and vampire guests.

The humans included Jason and Michele Stackhouse, Andy and Halleigh Bellefleur and a few of Sookie's other human friends. Katy was a little surprised to see the Magister there, as was Eric. Everyone in the bar had a drink in their hand: the humans had champagne; the vampires had Regency True.

Judith and Daniel stepped up to the dais where Eric was sitting on his old throne. Katy was sitting on the arm of the chair with her arm around Eric's neck. Pam was sitting on the other arm of the throne.

"Judith and I have an announcement to make," the handsome male vamp declared. "We are going to be married in a vampire ceremony on Christmas Eve. We hope to have the wedding at the palace afterward if you and Katy agree, Eric. It will be a simple gathering, just a few friends and the Magister." The smile on his face was broad. Judith stepped up and kissed him hard on the lips.

Eric nodded, "We would be happy to host your wedding at the palace." Katy nodded her agreement too. The room burst into cheers. Several people began to hug and kiss Judith and Daniel.

"Did you know about this, lover?" Eric asked as he turned to Katy. He was a little stunned by the news because he knew Judith's feelings about vampire relationships.

"Of course, I did," Katy answered him.

Eric opened his mouth to say something else, but Bill and Sookie Compton took the floor a few feet away.

Bill nodded to Sookie, and she spoke up.

"We have our own announcement to make. I have asked Bill to turn me on our second anniversary next week. We are going to hold the ceremony at our house. The Magister will officiate." Sookie looked over at the Magister who nodded back.

The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. A second cheer went up, but not as loud as the first. Katy and Eric could hear dissenting murmurs among some of the humans, especially Jason.

Sookie spoke up boldly. "This is what I want, Jason. I hope you will all be happy for me. I hope all you will be happy for me."

Katy felt Eric's hand on her arm, and she turned toward him. "Did you know about this too? If so, how come I am the last one to know? I am their king after all." Eric sounded a little displeased.

"Sookie has been talking to me and Judith about it for some time now, but I didn't know for sure that she had made up her mind. I don't think Judith knew either."

"I am surprised Bill asked her. He knows how she feels about being turned," Eric said. He was still annoyed at not knowing.

"Look, you must have guessed how it was going between Judith and Daniel. It was only a matter of time. As for Sookie: I don't think Bill asked her. She told me she was going to ask him. " Katy replied.

"What? Sookie wouldn't do that. She doesn't want to become vampire. If he is forcing her, he will answer to me!" Eric stated harshly.

"Bill would not ask her that; he loves her too much. You know that, Eric."

"Why, then?" Eric demanded, as a surprising stab of jealousy over the idea that Sookie wanted Bill to turn her swept through him, but the feeling was gone in a second.

"Because she loves him. Because she knows that he has pledged to meet the sun on the day she dies. Because she doesn't want him to die. Because she knows with their shared fae blood, they will stay together forever. Anyway, it's their business, not ours, or perhaps, you believe you should have married Sookie, instead of me." Katy said sharply to him; hurt dripped from her voice. She shook his hand off her arm and walked over to Judith.

Katy felt Eric's brief stab of jealousy over Sookie's decision through their bonds. For a moment she was incandescently jealous of the blonde telepath herself. For a moment she wanted to cry, but she knew it wasn't her Sookie's fault. She tamped her feelings down hard and hugged both Judith and Sookie before she congratulated them. She hugged Bill and Daniel and congratulated them too. She felt another strong stab of jealousy coming from Eric, but this time she could hear his mind buzzing with unhappiness because she had just hugged two other men; he definitely didn't like other men touching her. Suddenly, Katy felt warm as Eric's love wrapped around her, and she knew without a doubt that she had no reason to be jealous of Sookie. She smiled to herself, but she didn't look up at Eric. "Let him stew for a moment," she thought.

Sitting beside Eric on the arm of his throne, Pam was angry with him, and she made no bones about it. "Way to go, asshole. Katy is right. Sookie has been considering this for months now. She knows how happy you and Katy are. She sees that Katy has not become a dreaded monster like she feared. She knows how much Daniel and Judith love each other. She knows that she and Bill will stay together forever, not just because of their fae blood, but because of their blood bond and because of their love. She knows Bill is her soulmate. She told me that she asked Bill last night to turn her on their anniversary. She had to convince him to do it, and it wasn't easy. Look at her, Eric. Do you doubt it is her choice?"

Pam and Sookie had renewed their friendship months ago, so Eric had no reason to doubt his oldest child. He looked at Bill and Sookie anyway. From the way that Sookie was looking at Bill, and from they they were holding each other, there was no doubt that they were both happy with the decision they had made.

'No. I am happy for her and Bill," Eric said.

But Pam was on a roll; she would would not let it go. Sookie was her friend, but Katy was family; she had come to love her younger sibling and knew Eric had hurt Katy's feelings.

"Are you, Eric? Are you really happy for Sookie? Are you sorry now that you are married to Katy, and not to Sookie? Are you sorry now that it was Katy you turned, and not Sookie? If you want my opinion, I think Katy is the best thing that ever happened to you, you big jerk, and you damn well know it! You hurt her feelings, so go apologize!"

Eric looked down at Pam with a scowl; he was furious and ready to tell her to butt out, but a movement caught his eye. He looked up as Katy glanced over at them. Her eyes glowed, and she had a big smile on her face. She was happy for both of her friends and that happiness was contagious. He smiled at her, and she smiled back at him; he could sense that the jealousy and hurt feelings from a minute ago were entirely gone. Katy held a glass of Regency True in one hand and beckoned him over with the other.

"She's so beautiful," Eric whispered softly to no one in particular. An unexpected rush of love encompassed him when he looked at Katy. He felt weak kneed and trembly. Katy always made him feel that way.

Pam didn't need Eric to explain which woman he was talking about.

Eric sighed heavily and patted Pam's hand. "You are right, Pam; I am a big jerk. No, I am not sorry, I married Katy, and you know it. Sookie is Bill's; it's their business what they do. Katy is mine. I am a lucky man; I have the woman I want. I will never want another."

"I know," Pam smiled up at him. She could feel Eric's love for Katy through their child/maker bond. She had felt it many times before, but tonight it was particularly strong. She felt not only the love, but the utter sense of helplessness Eric felt tonight when he looked at Katy. He wasn't aware that he was broadcasting loudly to to his first child. Pam thought Eric's feelings were interesting and intriguing.

Internally, Pam laughed at the tall, handsome viking vampire king who was usually so fierce and so powerful and so in control of everyone and everything around him, but who apparently came unglued at the flash of bright gray eyes flecked with violet, or a smile on his woman's lips.

"Love," Pam smiled to herself. "Someday, I am going to have to give it a try."

"Come on, you big old softy." Pam whispered to her maker; her voice was so low that no one else could hear. "Let's go join the celebration; let's go join your own soulmate."

* * *

Author's note: We have come to the end of my story. I hope all of you have enjoyed taking the journey with me; I know it was l an exciting trek for me. I have discovered several things along the way, and reconfirmed others. For instance, a worthy heroine doesn't always have to be model perfect, brave beyond words, or a superwoman; sometimes she is just a normal human female, who is capable of going beyond herself, what is known and what is safe, and loving a being who is totally different. I also learned that is isn't just the big bad evils that we have to fear, sometimes it is the the little evils, like Ralph and Tiffany that can almost destroy us. Katy and Eric went to hell and back for their love; they deserve to be together and be happy.

I will always believe that Bill and Sookie are meant for each other; they are true soulmates. Because of that The Healing Heart will always be my favorite story, but Dark Desire comes in a close second. I believe that Eric is capable of a deep abiding love with the right woman and he deserves his own HEA. It was a kick to make him fall in love with an ordinary human, not a supe, like Katy Dumont, though. Eric is so arrogant, and looks down on humans, as we all know, so it serves him right.


End file.
